


Wolf and I

by Kalikuks



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Accidental Self Harm (Werewolves should not handle Silver), Body Horror (Werewolf Transformation), Eventual Okami Hanzo, Fluff, Hanzo Shimada has Prosthestic Legs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Needles, Pseudo Science, Smut, Team as Family, Werewolf Fights, Werewolf Jesse McCree, Werewolves, side pairing: AnaHardt, side pairing: Genyatta, supportive boyfriends, team as pack, werewolf attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-05 16:55:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14048691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalikuks/pseuds/Kalikuks
Summary: “With the evidence, what Hanzo has observed, the… lunar cycle of all things.” Angela opens her eyes again and looks like she’s given up for the day, “Jesse, for lack of better scientific understanding, you have lycanthropy.”Both men are silent as they process. Naturally, it’s Jesse that breaks the silence with a literal bark of “What?!”“You’re a werewolf,” Angela says tiredly.- - - - - - - - - -Also known as the story where Jesse gets bitten by a werewolf and he and Hanzo learn how to deal with that.





	1. The Wolf in the Black Forest

**Author's Note:**

> Great Googly Moogly, we're live everyone!  
> This is my entry for the McHanzo Big Bang for 2018.  
> This is not beta'd

The sun is setting by the time they set up camp in the abandoned village on the hill. A small, skeleton team had been sent out to the Black Forest to investigate the apparent sightings of an activated E54 unit from the Omnic Crisis. The Omnic themselves ended up being friendly, and after they have a long conversation with Zenyatta, the group learned their name was Bastion. The small yellow bird that followed them around also has a name and is known as Ganymede.

The bird itself actually flits over to Hanzo where he’s sat overlooking the valley and the sprawling dark forest below. The archer doesn’t have much to offer the bird, but it’s not seeming to be seeking food. It takes a stick when Hanzo plucks one from the dirt, chirping happily before taking it and flitting back to where Bastion was resting in their turret form. Otherwise, there was no noise but the wind and the slow churning of the water wheel Hanzo was sitting near.

The silence was broken by the sound of spurs, and not long after McCree sat down heavily next to Hanzo, stretching his legs out before him. The heels of McCree’s boots were nearly touching the edge of the cliffside, and Hanzo watches Jesse nudge a stone off the side. Hanzo takes the opportunity of peace to lean against his lover, and Jesse wraps an arm around Hanzo’s shoulders with an easy smile. The others are setting up their so-called sleeping accommodations, Jesse must have just finished his and Hanzo’s.

“Our sleeping bags are all set up then?” Hanzo asks, settling his back against Jesse’s chest. His gunslinger accommodates him easily, and places his chin on Hanzo’s shoulder.

“We’ll be cozied up all snug, dontcha worry, Darlin’,” Jesse promises, kisses Hanzo’s cheek and rubs his scruff against Hanzo’s neck to make him squirm. Hanzo can feel Jesse’s smile against his skin when he does try to squirm from the roughness of Jesse’s beard.

“Sounds promising. It’s unfortunate I’ve decided to take first watch.” The lament is only half felt by Hanzo since the first watch means getting to sleep cuddled up to Jesse and the luxury of staying asleep until they have to leave in the morning.

“I’ll make sure our bed for the night is nice an’ toasty by the time ya get back from watch duty.”

“Perfect.” Hanzo turns in Jesse’s arms to cup his face and rub the scruff of the gunslinger’s beard with his thumb. “You know me so well.”

“I’d hope so, baby.” Jesse presses a kiss to the tip of Hanzo’s nose, “Only been together three years. If I didn’t pick up on that I’d be a downright terrible boyfriend.”

“The absolute worst.” Hanzo deadpans.

“Downright despicable.” Jesse continues, grinning while he dips his face closer to Hanzo’s, lips hovering just above Hanzo’s.

“A terrible boyfriend indeed,” Hanzo repeats and closes the space left between them.

The kiss itself is soft and languid, and there’s nowhere Hanzo would be in that moment then in Jesse’s arms. The kiss deepens slowly, with Hanzo’s cupping Jesse’s face and tenderly rubbing his fingers through Jesse’s beard. Their kiss is interrupted by a disgusted noise from Hana who plops down next to them both and offers them their supper in two thermoses.

“You’re both gross.” She says as she opens her own hot pink thermos to drink some soup from it, “Seriously. Gross.”

“You’re jus’ jealous Hana,” Jesse replies, rubbing Hanzo’s belly while the archer hands Jesse his thermos.

He takes the thermos with a grateful kiss to Hanzo’s cheek, and both of them move apart, not far, of course, to eat their supper. Hanzo still leans against Jesse to relish in the gunslinger’s natural body heat. The weather is cooling at the moment with the sun having set, and Hanzo’s pretty sure there is rain on the way, a thunderstorm at that. He can tell by the way his dragons excitedly writhe underneath the inked skin of his tattoo.

Hana and Jesse are still throwing insults back and forth, and Hanzo takes the time to eat his soup, half listening to their conversation. Jesse’s good with the younger members of the team and Hanzo briefly considers what Jesse would be like around children. Possibly their children. One day.

Hanzo leans more into Jesse’s side and muses on the thought of Jesse trying to chase around a toddler, perhaps two, in some painfully domestic setting. At some point Genji comes to sit next to them, his own dinner clutched close. Hanzo wonders if Genji’s armored body is more susceptible to the cold, but he doesn’t dare ask. Their relationship is less strained then it was when Hanzo first came to Overwatch’s attempt to restart, but there are lines Hanzo still refuses to cross lest he offends his brother. For now, there is small talk between them and good company.

Eventually, it’s time for Hanzo to take the first watch. The moon is full and bright in the sky, which will make Hanzo’s watch all the easier unless that storm he can feel coming sets in quicker than anticipated. He moves about the village as he watches over where his friends and lover have made their camp inside one of the remaining buildings.

For the most part, Hanzo’s watch is an uneventful one, up until the last hour. The sharp noise of twigs and brush breaking makes him snap his head towards the sound before his ever-silent feet follow. There’s the ruined shell of a transport of some kind, and Hanzo inches inside its shadow, the full moon will do nothing to conceal him otherwise. Eventually, he spots the cause of the noise, a large hulking figure that is skulking past the light grey stone of the ruined village. At first, Hanzo thinks it’s a bear, but its form is far too clear in the moonlight for it to be anything other than a wolf. A huge wolf.

A wolf, that apparently can stand on two legs, for that’s what the creature does when Hanzo draws an arrow when he notices it heading towards the camp. That camp that no longer holds its interest, for the creature’s bright golden eyes are trained on where Hanzo is hidden underneath the red shell of the transport that crashed long ago. There’s a moment, where Hanzo thinks the creature cannot see him where he’s hidden in the shadows, but that reassurance is instantly broken when he and the creature lock eyes.

Hanzo has no time to comm his comrades, for the wolf creature lowers itself to all fours and charges him. The most he can muster is a startled yell and hopes someone is awake enough to hear until he can comm them as he moves back from under his cover to scramble over it as the wolf dives for his previous position. Hanzo is scrambling up the old rusted carapace of the wreck as the wolf recovers, and he knows it won’t be far behind as he runs through the windmill building in front of him.

Hanzo whips around and looses an arrow that lodges deep into the shoulder of the creature when it crests over the top of the wreckage after him, but its hulking form does not falter in the slightest. It only pulls the arrow out with its teeth before snapping the arrow in two in its jaws, but by that time Hanzo has made his way out of the husk of the windmill and has clambered up to perch on the roof. He barely pulls the metal ankle of his prosthetic out of the way of the wolf’s jaws when it leaps at his climbing form to try to catch him.

Hanzo hazards peering down from the roof of his perch on top of the windmill. The wolf is pacing on the floor below, watching Hanzo and snarling up at him. There’s something intelligent in its bright golden eyes that unnerve the archer. He draws another arrow and takes aim but his comm crackles to life rather loudly and makes him flinch.

“Hanzo! Where are you?! We’ve been hearing snarls… are you okay?” The voice on the other end of the comm is Hana’s.

“There’s a wolf,” Hanzo replies, inching back away from the edge of the roof when said wolf jumps for him again. Hanzo promptly releases two arrows in quick succession into the claws digging into the shingles of the rooftop. The wolf loses its grip and falls back down to the ground with a furious roar. “A huge wolf, I’m not even entirely sure it _is_ a wolf. I’ve shot it three times now, and there’s no sign of it backing off. I need assistance.”

“Got it! Just hold tight.” there are the tell-tale sounds of Hana’s mech powering up in the background on her end, “Where are you?”

“On the roof of the windmill, north side from the camp.” Hanzo hazards another glance over the edge of the roof, looking for the creature hounding him, “Be careful, it’s lurking around the second story balcony.”

“I’d like to see some wolf try to get the best of me and my baby.” Hana sounds as confident as ever, and it’s actually pretty reassuring.

What isn’t reassuring, is that Hanzo’s lost sight of the creature entirely.

While he’s edging along the length of the roof there’s another person calling his comm, and Hanzo hears Jesse’s voice through the device, “Baby? You okay, Sugar? Hana’s got us all on standby. There really a big wolf runnin’ round?”

“Yes. Be careful, my love. I’ve lost sight of it.” Hanzo starts to move to the other side of the roof carefully, wary of the rickety windmill blades still spinning and the stability of the roof, “I do not know if it grew bored of me and doubled back towards the camp.”

“Well, I for sure don’t hear anythin’ sneakin’ around here.”

Hanzo is about to reply when there’s the sound of wood splintering, and the windmill creaks loudly. It’s not the roof under his feet, like he’d originally feared, but the wolf has made a reappearance, using the skeleton of the windmill blades to scale to the roof. It apparently hadn’t given up on its quarry. Hanzo fires an arrow at it, another two after the first doesn’t even hinder it as it stalks towards him on the roof. The only saving grace is that the wolf is as unsure of the stability of the rooftop as Hanzo is, and doesn’t look too keen on advancing too quickly.

Hanzo steps back cautiously, and the wolf places its paws slowly down on the roof, one place at a time, feeling out where it’s for sure solid. Hanzo’s got a few options, which is scale the rest of the windmill, or return to the ground floor and try to regroup with the team. Considering the wolf literally just scaled the blade of the windmill like a ladder, the higher rooftop is looking like a poor choice. Though, once on the ground, the wolf could outrun him.

Jesse’s worried voice comes back through the comm, “…Han? Baby?”

“It’s on the roof with me. It’s scared it’ll break through, so it won’t advance quickly.” Hanzo voices, shooting an arrow at the paw of the wolf to make it move back, and Hanzo reaches back to his quiver and feels only a few arrows remaining as he retreats another step, “But I’m almost out of arrows, and it will reach me eventually.”

Jesse’s silent for a beat before he speaks again, “The second story of the roof is out of the question?”

“Yes. The wolf climbed the windmill blades to get up here, it’s likely it will do the same to follow me up.” Hanzo’s retreating back again, he’s hesitant to take his eyes off the wolf but he does to see just how much rooftop he has left. There’s not much more to go to get down again, “The other option would be to return to the ground floor, and regroup with you.”

“…I’m on route then.”

“Jesse! Don’t do anything foolis-“

While distracted with Jesse, the wolf has advanced on Hanzo and has pounced for him. Hanzo puts his storm bow between him and the wolf’s jaw’s just in time, and both of them roll across the roof and crash through it into the building below. Hanzo’s fall is at least broken by the wolf, but it is also broken by _the wolf,_ whose teeth are around storm bow like a vice. Hanzo can hear Hana’s mech somewhere close, but it’s not long before the wolf tears the bow from Hanzo’s grip and tosses it aside then overpowers him to flip their positions. The wolf’s long claws dig into Hanzo’s sides as the archer is manhandled. The wolf is about to go for Hanzo’s throat before the archer punches the creature square in the jaw, and it staggers back in shocked surprise.

Hanzo takes the opportunity to kick the wolf away and put more distance between them. His sides burn from where the claws had torn his skin and his body aches from the fall, but he can’t stop to assess his injuries just yet. There is still the wolf, and it is recovering from Hanzo’s punch and kick. Its furious snarls are at Hanzo’s heels again.

Hanzo hazards a glance behind him, and the large form of the wolf is indeed in pursuit of him again and gaining. The creature clearly has more endurance than Hanzo, and clearly isn’t slowed down by the injuries it’s sustained.

Hanzo faces forward again and tries to push his body harder to get away. Adrenaline can only do him so much good, and he can feel himself getting weighed down already. He has a sobering moment, as the snarls get louder behind him, that he realizes it's likely he could very well die here. Ripped to pieces by a monstrous wolf.

Hanzo thinks of Jesse’s smile and his warmth. Cuddles under the worn serape on the cliffside after missions. Cigarillos passed between them as ships chug across the sea. Stolen kisses in the heat of battle, waking up next to his cowboy when they’re granted moments of reprieve.

Hanzo’s not ready to give that up just yet.

Hanzo rounds on the wolf and roundhouse kick it in the muzzle. Hanzo’s working things out with Genji, he has a lover in Jesse and a strange sort of family in the reformed Overwatch. The only way he’s going down is fighting, so fight he will. The wolf he’s facing down finishes shaking its massive head as it recovers from Hanzo’s metal foot to the face, and soon it starts to pace around Hanzo warily.

The showdown between the wolf Hanzo is broken when the wolf is shot right in the side of the head, the familiar report of Peacekeeper’s gunfire the sweetest music to Hanzo’s ears. The massive wolf slumps and so does Hanzo, but there is a sudden wall of cowboy in front of him to break his fall.

“I found him, Hana.” Jesse comms to their teammate as he looks Hanzo over, and Hanzo can’t hear Hana’s reply over the pounding in his own ears, “He’s hurtin’, from scratches externally, but God knows what coulda got messed up when they fell through the roof.”

Hanzo’s world lurches again as Jesse scoops him up into his arms, and starts carrying him back towards where Hanzo can now see Hana’s bright pink MEKA. It’s all he can do to cling to Jesse in sheer relief, resting his head on Jesse’s shoulder. The familiar red serape is soft against his cheek, and it smells like home.

Hanzo’s relief, however, is short-lived.

There’s an enraged howl behind them, and suddenly Jesse lurches with a cry, dropping Hanzo. Hana gives a startled cry and her MEKA thuds past Hanzo as quickly as it can. There was a moment where Hanzo can still feel Jesse behind him before his warmth is suddenly absent. Hanzo turns just in time to see Jesse being dragged by the wolf, the wolf’s jaw clasped tight around Jesse’s calf.

Jesse himself kicks at the wolf, trying to get the wolf to let go as he grunts in pain from the teeth of the creature digging into his flesh. He fires Peacekeeper again and again into the wolf, but the wolf does not budge this time. The wolf, however, is getting tired of his shit apparently, and lunges for Jesse’s throat. Jesse just manages to bring his prosthetic up in time, gritting his teeth against the flash of pain that lights up his artificial nerves when the wolf’s teeth sink into the prosthetic.

“Hey! Chew on this!” Hana cries as she backhands the wolf with one of the arms of her MEKA, and the wolf thankfully lets go of Jesse’s prosthetic.

Hanzo takes the opportunity to grab Jesse and use his last remaining strength to pull him away from the wolf. Hana moves her MEKA between the two of them and the wolf, standing a steadfast sentinel and glaring the creature down. Hanzo has Jesse’s head pillowed against his chest, and his dragons are writhing under his tattoo, but without his bow to channel them towards a proper target, they are too dangerous to summon with everyone in such close proximity.

The wolf makes a threatening step forwards that Hana matches with one of her own, and it’s soon obvious the wolf is reconsidering the whole ordeal. The wolf snarls and gives a withering look to the group before it starts to slink off.

“You better run!” Hana chases after the creature, and the wolf picks up its pace.

The wolf does stop to give one last glance to where Hanzo and Jesse sit huddled together, it’s golden eyes fixating on Jesse. Hanzo instinctively pulls Jesse closer. Jesse is just huffing and grunting in pain, his prosthetic sparking at his side. Hana makes sure the wolf is running off before she doubles back to check on them both.

“How are you both feeling?” she asks, the lights of her cockpit making her concern plain to them, “You’ve both been roughed up quite a bit tonight.”

“Ya don’t say.” Jesse grits out as he and Hanzo shakily stand. He leans heavily against Hanzo, favoring the leg that was gnawed on, “That thing used me as a chew toy.”

“Yeah, we should get Zen to look at that. Lena’s still at least fifteen minutes out with the transport. I got Genji to radio her when the wolf took you through the roof, Hanzo. Just in case we needed a speedy exit.”

Hanzo just nods. He’ll probably be feeling the soreness of the fall in the morning, but right now his concern is Jesse. Hana helps them both back to their campsite, letting them both lean on her MEKA all the way. Genji immediately is at Hanzo’s side, firing off questions and concerns in rapid Japanese before Zenyatta calmly floats up. Jesse’s and Hanzo’s wounds are cleaned and dressed for Angela to look at when they return to the Watchpoint.

Hanzo just sits slumped next to Jesse for the remainder of the wait for the transport. Jesse seems to be nodding off, and Hanzo’s inclined to follow him, but the knowledge the wolf creature is still out there makes rest difficult. There was something off about the creature, and Hanzo can’t shake the feeling of being watched by those golden eyes and the fact that it had stood on two legs when Hanzo had first seen it. Hanzo’s turned it over and over so much in his head that he’s half-convinced himself he just saw things when Lena shows up in the transport.

They’re in the middle of moving onto the transport when a howl splits the night, and Hanzo moves closer to Jesse in response. Jesse’s arm is around Hanzo’s waist protectively in seconds, and the gunslinger gently urges Hanzo to continue helping him up the loading ramp. Bastion gives a few concerned beeps and boops and places their hand over their tiny bird companion as they thud onto the transport after them. Hana doesn’t move from guarding the ramp until Genji and Zenyatta have also made their way on, and even then she slowly backs her mech up until she’s one hundred percent certain the wolf creature is nowhere near.

Lena herself blinks around them all in concern as they settle in for the flight, stopping to hand both Hanzo and Jesse some water and a bundle of blankets. There’s a peal of thunder overhead, the storm Hanzo had predicted finally setting in. Lena is in the middle of prepping the transport for flight when the rain finally falls.

They’re in the air in moments, and when Lena gives the okay that it’s alright for them all to move about the cabin, Hanzo merely pushes the restraints away from himself and settles against Jesse’s side. Exhaustion is finally catching up with Hanzo, and it seems to have taken Jesse if the soft snores are anything to go by.

  
When he does slip into sleep, it’s a handful of fitful nightmares consisting of yellow eyes and snarls at his heels.


	2. Return to the Watchpoint

Hanzo’s been drifting in and out of fitful sleep the entire ride home to Watchpoint Gibraltar. How Jesse slept through it, given what they just went through, is beyond him. The sun is just starting to rise on the horizon, and Hanzo gently reaches over to Jesse to gently shake him awake so they can all prep for landing. 

His efforts are met with a grumble from the gunslinger and a bat to his hand before Jesse stubbornly tries to pull the blankets more around himself and turn from Hanzo. The movement nearly sends Jesse sliding down the chair he’s sat in and Hanzo has to reach over to make sure his lover doesn’t fall. His body protests the effort of trying to keep the heavy Jesse up, but Bastion thunks up to them both and picks the cowboy up easily to place him back on the seat with a cheerful _bweem_.

Genji is snickering at the entire display as he buckles himself in the restraints along the wall with Zenyatta at his side. There are no restraints to fit something as large as an E54 unit, so Bastion makes do in their turret form. Lena lands the transport without a hitch as expected of a talented pilot as herself, and before long everyone is shuffling tiredly out of the transport.

Unsurprisingly, Angela is waiting for both Hanzo and Jesse, providing crutches for the cowboy so he can continue to favour his leg. Hanzo declines the offer of letting Reinhardt simply carry him to the medbay, but thanks the large German man for his consideration. 

Jesse trundles along with Angela, Hanzo slowly keeping pace with Reinhardt bringing up the rear just in case. Hanzo spends most of the walk reminding himself not to lean into his lover for support like he desires to. It would only put Jesse off balance on the crutches and pull at the claw wounds on Hanzo’s sides. They’re about halfway to the medbay when Jesse suddenly wobbles and very nearly crashes into Hanzo as he falls heavily to the floor. Both Angela and Hanzo are at his side in seconds. 

“Sorry.” Jesse mumbles, his hands finding purchase in Hanzo’s gi, “I jus’, I don’t feel too hot all of a sudden.”

Angela places her hand on Jesse’s forehead in concern, her frown deepening a second after, “You’re burning up. Rapidly.” 

“Told ya I was hot stuff, babe.” Jesse turns his face up to Hanzo, sweat indeed beading on his brow as he tries to lighten the mood. 

Hanzo only cups Jesse’s face to feel for himself, eyes widening when he also feels just how much Jesse’s temperature has raised. If Jesse ran any hotter at this moment Hanzo was convinced he’d burst into flames. Hanzo is trying to convince himself Jesse’s not about to prove spontaneous human combustion exists when Reinhardt comes up behind them both and effortlessly lifts Jesse out of Hanzo’s embrace.

Hanzo has to watch helplessly as Reinhardt and Angela scurry off to the medbay with his gunslinger. Hanzo tries his best to follow, rising to his feet with a hiss of pain as his wounds pull with the movement. Lucio meets Hanzo halfway, ushering him to the medbay as quickly as Hanzo’s own injuries allow.  

Lucio tends to Hanzo, and that’s all Hanzo allows himself to be preoccupied with for the moment. The worry over Jesse still nags at the back of his mind, but it will not do him any favours. Hanzo has seen Jesse McCree survive worse, has heard the gunslinger’s tales of survival out in the arid southwestern United States when all Jesse had was his wits. The sudden downturn is not optimal, but Hanzo has the utmost faith in his beloved. 

Genji comes barreling into the room shortly after Lucio finishes checking over Hanzo’s wounds. Hanzo only affords his brother an awkward wave, careful not to pull the stitching that holds together some of the deeper claw marks the massive wolf had left.

“I’ll let you both chill here for a minute while I go check out how Dr. Ziegler is doing with McCree,” Lucio promised, giving Hanzo and Genji a wave before he disappears from the room, closing the door behind him.

“Jesse took a turn for the worse, I hear.” Genji voices once the door slides fully closed, his voice losing the tinny reverb once he removes his visor. 

Hanzo no longer sinks into his guilt when Genji’s scarred visage is no longer hidden by the visor, a feat that had taken much time spent with his brother. Genji perches on the counter, forgoing sitting in the chair Lucio had vacated upon leaving. Hanzo merely shrugs, regretting the action immediately when his wounds and sore muscles protest. Hanzo had not broken anything when he had fallen through the roof of the Windmill, but he was due for bruising and soreness in the coming days. 

“Jesse became fevered suddenly and collapsed in the hallway.” Hanzo answers, “I assume Dr. Ziegler and now Lucio are working to find the cause of the sudden turn.”

“Angela is the best in the world.” Genji boasts, never missing a chance to gloat about the skills of one of his dearest friends, “Jesse will be fine in no time.” 

“I do not doubt that. Even if she weren’t here, Jesse’s stubbornness alone would see him cured of his sudden ailment.” Hanzo sighs almost fondly. “I am not worried. Or, I am, but I know he will pull through. Jesse has a knack for finding his way out of trouble just as much as he finds himself in it.” 

“You are right about that,” Genji replies with a laugh. He hops down from the counter and offers a hand to Hanzo to help him up to his feet. “There is no use waiting around for word, then. We can check in with Lucio on the way out, but I am certain after the night you’ve had that you are still exhausted.” 

“You’ve no idea,” Hanzo answers, taking his brother’s offered hand, rising slowly to his feet in pain. The soreness is already kicking in. 

Genji at least takes pity and helps Hanzo to the dorm he shares with Jesse. Hanzo allows Genji to fret over him for a few minutes before he finally chases Genji away and chastises him good-naturedly in Japanese for being such a mother hen. Genji promises Hanzo that he will keep him posted if there is word on Jesse’s condition as he leaves, the door closing behind him with a muted whoosh.

Hanzo flops onto the bed with a wince, allowing himself to finally groan in pain when the movement twinges his sore muscles. He stretches out, trying to find a position to sleep that will not cause him discomfort. Hanzo tells himself it’s not because of Jesse’s absence that he needs to take up the space on their bed himself. Especially not because of the attack in the Black Forest. Especially not because of how close that wolf beast had gotten to taking Jesse from him. Especially because Jesse had put himself between the wolf and Hanzo.

Hanzo lets out an angry huff and forces himself to turn over to bury his face in Jesse’s pillow, clutching it close as he makes his mind to go carefully blank. His body protests the new position, but Hanzo has already accepted that he will not be getting any rest. He’s too hyper-aware of the silence, which is somehow loud in itself now that Jesse’s snoring is not there for Hanzo to listen to.

Hanzo barely remembers to take off his own prosthetics, only doing so when Lucio pops into the dorm to bring him painkillers. Hanzo can barely move, only stares blankly up at Lucio as he is lectured about leaving the prosthesis on too long. He’d had problems with removing them in the past, being on the run with assassins at every turn does not allow for moments of respite. As such, when Hanzo had finally come to the watchpoint, Dr. Ziegler and Lucio had practically jumped him when he had no recollection whatsoever of the last time he’d removed them.  
  
That was the entire reason Hanzo had ever been properly introduced to Jesse McCree. Genji had been away on a mission when Hanzo had been confined to a wheelchair to let the remains of his legs undergo healing from his neglectfulness. Jesse just happened to answer the recall the week prior. Jesse had been assigned to wheel Hanzo around until Genji returned. They both had gotten along surprisingly well, and the rest was history.  
  
Hanzo thanks Lucio for his concern, and accepts the young man’s help with removing his prosthetics. Hanzo hadn’t realized how sore his legs were until they were freed. The little flash of pain that accompanied removal was nothing in comparison to the rest of the aches his body was suffering.  
  
Lucio stuck around long enough only to ensure Hanzo took the painkillers and to update Hanzo on how Jesse was doing. Jesse hadn’t come to yet, but his temperature keeps fluctuating so Dr. Ziegler was keeping an eye on him very closely. Lucio promises to update Hanzo the moment something goes wrong. Hanzo only offers Lucio a grunt of acknowledgment, the painkillers are already making him drowsy.  
  
Hanzo is already asleep by the time Lucio steps out of the room.  
  
 ————————  
  
Jesse has neither improved or worsened when Hanzo wakes.  
  
The first thing Hanzo does when he rolls, incredibly carefully, out of bed, washes his face in the sink, dress, and start making way to the med bay to check up on Jesse. Hanzo receives a scolding from Dr. Ziegler for his trouble, but he knows it comes from a place of worry. Angela at least then proceeds to help Hanzo ease into a chair at Jesse’s bedside, which he sinks into gratefully. Reinhardt had anticipated Hanzo’s desire to be at Jesse’s side and brought an old armchair for Hanzo to sit in while visiting Jesse. Hanzo would have to thank Reinhardt for his consideration later.  
  
Right now Hanzo’s concern was Jesse. Hanzo carefully leans over in a way that won’t pull on his stitches as he places a hand gently on Jesse’s forehead. The gunslinger is still burning hotter than normal, and Hanzo just soothingly coos some nonsense in Japanese as he brushes Jesse’s sweat-soaked hair from his forehead. Jesse just makes a noise in his throat and leans towards Hanzo’s touch before he stills again, and Hanzo lets out the breath he had held. 

“He reacted to you?” Angela asks, peering over at Jesse from over the back of the armchair, blowing a raspberry in relief, “At least we know he’s not slipped into a strange coma.”

 “Could he?” Hanzo snaps around to stare at Angela, waiting for the answer while still running his hand comfortingly over Jesse’s hair.

 “We don’t know exactly what this fever, or illness is.” Angela sighs, her brows knitting with worry, “I’ve not seen anything like it before. We even have Mei and Winston looking over the blood sample we took off his clothes that was from the wolf to see if that has answers.”

 Hanzo nods before he turns his attention back to Jesse. Hanzo spends a good fifteen minutes fussing over Jesse, making sure his injured lover is comfortable and there is a cool cloth on Jesse’s brow. Before long Lucio comes by to shoo Hanzo to breakfast, placing a small speaker on Jesse’s bedside and turning it on before he joins Hanzo. Hanzo gives Jesse a kiss on the forehead before he reluctantly leaves Jesse’s side.

 “Figured he could use some healing tunes to help with whatever’s going on,” Lucio explains on the way to the mess hall. 

“He will appreciate it, as do I. Thank you, Lucio, for all of your help,” Hanzo replies. 

Lucio cheerily waves it off, “Hey, don’t mention it. It’s what I do.” 

Ana has tea waiting for Hanzo when he enters the communal kitchen, giving him a nod and a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder before she goes to Reinhardt’s side to help serve up breakfast for the others. Hanzo is bombarded with questions when he sits to eat, most of which is about the wolf in the Black Forest. Hanzo answers best he can before Ana scolds everyone for not leaving him alone after such a rough night. 

Hanzo just sends her a grateful smile which she meets with a gentle nod. He can see why Jesse sees her as a mother figure. Hanzo just didn’t expect Ana’s protectiveness over Jesse to extend to himself, especially when he first arrived here. But back then he hadn’t anticipated much of a warm welcome to begin with. Or to find someone who understands him as much as Jesse McCree does. 

Hanzo feels a twinge of affection and worries for his lover, so he finishes eating to return to Jesse’s side. The soreness still permeating his body prevents him from doing his daily training anyway. Genji at least drops by to give Hanzo a book to read as he stays with Jesse.

 The next few days follows the almost the same pattern, save for Genji inviting Hanzo to meditate with him and Zenyatta out on the cliffside. Zenyatta provides Hanzo with one of his orbs of harmony to help soothe the aches remaining in his body. Bastion even joins them, and Zenyatta translates their beeps and boops for both Hanzo and Genji. Bastion has acclimated to the Watchpoint well, though they miss the lush green foliage of the Black Forest. Hanzo listens to the conversation but does not add much to it. He has no love for the Black Forest after what happened there, but he will not ruin Bastion’s perception of the place the Omnic clearly holds dear. 

It’s three days after Jesse passed out that Jesse finally wakes. Hanzo had fallen asleep in the armchair at Jesse’s bedside, only to be awoken by someone putting an ice cube down his shirt. Naturally, he squirms to rid himself of the chill currently making its way down his back, only to come face to face with a disheveled and sleepily amused Jesse. 

“You’re so damn cute, y’know that?” Jesse’s voice is rough from disuse.

Hanzo stops his ice induced squirming to blink owlishly at his lover before practically pouncing at Jesse to give him a long, sweet kiss. Genji, the culprit behind the ice down Hanzo’s shirt, tries to slip away while Hanzo is distracted. Hanzo only sticks his leg out to trip his brother as he passes and Genji goes down with an indignant squawk that has Angela wheeling backward in her office chair to peer at the three of them disapprovingly. Jesse has to break the kiss to laugh, and Hanzo’s eyes crinkle as he smiles wide.

“So mean, Anija.” Genji grouses from the floor. 

“I told ya he’d get back at ya.” Jesse points out, letting Hanzo fuss over him, “But nah, you had ta poke a sleepin’ bear.” Jesse pouts up at Hanzo, “Bastard used _my ice_ ta wake you.” 

“The deal was I got to use it to wake Hanzo if I got you the ice you wanted.” Genji points at Jesse from where’s now sitting cross-legged on the floor. “Do not turn on me now, McCree, the scheme was as much yours as it was mine!”

“I’ll get you more ice,” Hanzo promises, ignoring Genji to run a hand tenderly through Jesse’s hair. 

“You never offer to get me ice when I’m ill, Anija.”

“Because _you_ don’t like how cold it is on your teeth,” Hanzo replies easily. He then thinks for a second and looks to Jesse. “Why _were_ you eating ice?”

 “Because I’m thirsty but want somethin’ crunchy ta chew.”

Hanzo considers it for a brief second before he shakes his head slowly, “You know what, that is fair.”

Their back and forth is put to an end by the clearing of a throat at the end of Jesse’s bed. Angela stands at the end of the bed with a weary smile, before plucking Jesse’s patient file from the clipboard hanging off the end of the bed.

“Glad to see you are awake, Jesse.” She says cheerily as she rounds the bed to stand at Jesse’s side.

“Glad ta be awake, Doc,” Jesse replies equally as cheerily. 

“How are you feeling besides thirsty? Are the stitches pulling at all?” Angela continues, flipping over Jesse’s covers to check his injured leg. “Are you in any pain?”

“Nah, I actually feel damn good.” Jesse is just content to let people fuss over him, leaning more and more into Hanzo’s touch as Hanzo continually runs his fingers through Jesse’s hair. 

“You let me know the moment that changes.” Angela snaps on latex gloves, “I’m going to remove the bandage to check the wound.”

“Sounds good.” Jesse just hunkers down on the bed to let Angela work, and he and Hanzo’s eyes meet when Jesse turns to look over Hanzo. He lowers his voice to speak to Hanzo, “You doin’ okay, Sugar? I know you took a tumble yourself. You ain’t hurtin’?” 

“I’m fine, Jess.” Hanzo says softly,  “I’ve been taking care of myself. You worry about yourself, you were out for three days.”

“That long?” Jesse blinks in surprise. “It didn’t seem like it.”

“Because _you_ were asleep.” Hanzo points out with a fondly exasperated smile. 

Both of them have completely forgotten where they are until Angela makes a soft noise of surprise as she removes the last of the bandages on Jesse’s leg. Hanzo and Jesse turn to her for an explanation, and Genji steps closer curiously. 

“Your wound is healed.” Angela runs her fingers over the pinched and scarred skin of Jesse’s leg, right where the bite is supposed to be. The evidence is still there in the shape of a ragged scar, “In fact, the wound looks weeks old.” She purses her lips and peers up at the two of them, “The only thing I could think of why it would be this way is if either my staff or one of the biotic emitters was used.” Her eyes flick from Jesse to Hanzo, which does not go unnoticed by Jesse. 

“What are you implyin’, Doc?” Jesse tenses and glares, suddenly hostile. “You think Han woulda used equipment without permission?”

Both Hanzo and Angela are taken aback by the sudden temper Jesse is sporting, since Jesse is normally so cool-headed, and Hanzo takes Jesse’s hand in his to calm him.

“Anata.” Hanzo gives Jesse’s hand a squeeze, though it is accompanied by a glare. 

Angela and Hanzo may not have gotten along that well when Hanzo had first come to the watchpoint, but he and the doctor had moved passed such pettiness. He doesn’t need Jesse to stir the pot, especially when Jesse has always gotten along with Angela better than Hanzo ever has. This sudden swing in Jesse’s mood towards her is way out of left field, even if it is to defend a slight, albeit an imagined one. Jesse seems to catch onto it too, and he lowers his gaze from both Angela and Hanzo to mumble an apology.

“Sorry.” Jesse returns Hanzo’s squeeze, “Guess I’ve just been cooped up too long in here. Never liked clinics much. Or bein’ idle.”

Angela waves it off good-naturedly, “It is fine. It is possible that the wound healing could also be a side effect of leftover nanites in your system from the initial cleaning and disinfecting of the wound.”

“So can I am free ta go now? I need a sm—“ Angela’s sudden no-nonsense glare has Jesse skipping a beat, “—all pistachio cone from that cute little shop in town.” Jesse turns to Hanzo, pleading a rescue from Angela’s wrath with his eyes, “You know the one, right Han?”

“I do.” Hanzo can’t help the smile that forms, “I’ll take you, it’ll be my treat.” 

“That invitation includes me, naturally.” Genji pipes up from over Hanzo’s shoulder, “You wouldn’t deny me ice cream, would you Anija?” 

Hanzo just sighs, but there’s a fond smile on his face. 

Hanzo does take Jesse and Genji out for ice cream after Jesse is cleared and good to go. Even if Jesse’s wound is healed, Hanzo keeps an eye on how he moves. Jesse doesn’t seem to be favouring his leg anymore than he normally would. Its a huge weight off of Hanzo’s shoulders, to see Jesse finally up and awake and arguing with Genji over ice cream flavours. That traitorous voice still points out that Jesse wouldn’t have gotten injured if Jesse hadn’t protected Hanzo. Hanzo can’t dwell on those thoughts too long as he gets dragged into the ice cream debate eventually, and he knows both Genji and Jesse immediately regret it when Hanzo goes right into his go-to spiel of how Neapolitan is clearly the best as it is three classic flavours in one. 

That night Hanzo wordlessly snuggles into Jesse’s side, and Jesse immediately tries to tuck Hanzo as close to himself as possible. Jesse’s snores and his warmth at Hanzo’s side finally coax him into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Stranger Things and Dragon Dreams

The changes are noticed gradually.

Jesse’s nails are growing far too quickly to be normal, and he’s having to clip them nearly every second day for them to even be a comfortable length. At least it’s only the one hand, having to constantly clip both would admittedly drive him up the wall. Jesse doesn’t think too much of it aside from the inconvenience of it, and Hanzo doesn’t say a word about it either. Jesse supposes it is because his archer is still slowly easing away from the scare he went through that night in the Black Forest. 

His Hanzo’s always been one to dwell on things, Jesse can’t count how many nights he’s held Hanzo to his chest and rubbed his back to calm him down from the nightmares of the fight with Genji. Now he holds Hanzo through the shakes brought on by that creature that nearly separated them forever. When they shower together Jesse feels Hanzo’s eyes linger on the scars on his leg from the jaws of the creature, and though the marks are miraculously healed they throb from time to time. Hanzo helps with that pain, massages the area with callused fingers, pretends Jesse can’t see the way he holds his guilt locked away inside. 

They’ve been together long enough for Jesse to know that Hanzo is prideful and won’t talk until he’s ready or he breaks completely. It is only a matter of time for either to happen. The thought tugs at Jesse’s heartstrings, the last thing he wants for Hanzo is another thing to guilt himself over. He supposes, in retrospect, worrying over Hanzo is what makes him miss other obvious things.

Jesse McCree was an affectionate man before, but now… now he can’t seem to get enough of Hanzo. Or anyone really. Being around the entire team makes him content in a way it didn’t before. One afternoon two weeks after the attack, watching Hanzo argue with Genji in Japanese over a game of  _ Go _ in the rec room while he himself nurses a coffee. It’s somehow painfully domestic and Jesse makes a content sound in his throat like a happy growl. Neither of the brothers notices the sound, but Hanzo must have felt Jesse’s gaze linger on him because he looks up to meet Jesse’s gaze and smile in exasperation. He looks softest like this, Jesse finds himself thinking, with strands of his black hair falling out of his bun from training with Jesse earlier. Jesse can’t help but lean to kiss Hanzo, making another growl without thought when Genji makes playful gagging noises.

When they part, all Jesse sees is Hanzo, but he hears all those present in the area too. Hana and Lucio are talking about doing a live stream together, Reinhardt and Ana conversing a room away over tea and coffee. Reinhardt must have brewed something particularly strong today because Jesse can smell it as if it was right under his own nose. Altogether though, Jesse finds himself in the overwhelming notion that this is his family. 

His  _ pack _ .

That thought came out of nowhere, but Jesse pays it no mind, not when Hanzo actually turns from Jesse to point out that Genji has been rearranging their game pieces while his elder brother was distracted. His booming laughter nearly shakes the table and makes the pieces scatter around even worse, but now both Shimada brothers are laughing along, and Hanzo gets the rare appearance of crow’s feet on the corners of his eyes that Jesse hopes stay there when Hanzo gets older and greyer. He hopes he’ll still be with Hanzo to see them.

Reaching to twine their fingers on the way out of the rec room an hour later comes easily to them both now. There had been a time where Hanzo had shied away from physical affection, years of being told to hide his emotions behind a facade were habits not easily thrown aside. Hanzo’s become so comfortable in Jesse’s presence that even the archer’s guardian spirits sometimes pop into existence. 

When Jesse and Hanzo step into their room for the night the spirit dragons are present for the first time in weeks, curled up on the cat bed Jesse had jokingly got for them only for the dragons to actually adore it. They lift their heads to look up at them both in unison, Soba and Udon’s beady eyes zeroing in on Jesse. Hanzo slips by Jesse with a kiss on his cheek before slipping into their bathroom first to get ready for bed. Jesse takes the opportunity to say hi to his favourite spirit dragons.

“Hey, darlings.” Jesse bends at the waist to reach to pet Soba, only for the dragon to snarl and snap at his fingers. Jesse actually yelps in surprise and hurt, “Hey, what was that for?”

Both dragons only stare up at him, both coiled like snakes, ready to strike. It only confuses Jesse further, and he mentally back tracks through the last couple of days in case he’s done something unwittingly to slight the ancient spirits. 

“Soba? Udon?” Jesse kneels to offer the dragons his hand to sniff like the first time he met them, “It’s alright. It’s only me.”

Both dragons are still snarling, but only softer now, and Udon is slowly making his way past Soba to cautiously approach. Jesse’s brows only furrow deeper when Udon takes a long time to sniff his hand before chirping and hissing at him. The tiny dragon’s eyes are boring into him, and Jesse feels his own hackles raise. Never, not even the first time he’s seen the twin dragons mow down enemies on the battlefield has Jesse ever been iller at ease around the dragons. 

“Han?” Jesse calls to Hanzo, knowing the archer isn’t in the shower because the water isn’t running yet, “Baby, is somethin’ wrong with your dragons?”

The door to the bathroom cracks open and Hanzo appears haloed in the bathroom light, half undressed, “What is it that they are doing that makes you think they are acting odd?”

“They’ve been growlin’ at me. They won’t let me touch ‘em.”

That has Hanzo’s brows furrowing as well, his expression troubled as he steps from the bathroom to come sit at Jesse’s side next to the dragons. The spirits tense further when Hanzo gets close to Jesse, snarling louder and baring their fangs. 

“Easy.” Hanzo reaches to soothe a hand down Soba’s back, “It’s alright. It’s only Jesse.”

The dragons look unsure, their heads bobbing to look from Hanzo to Jesse and back. Their growls have softened once more, but they are still on edge.

“Did I do somethin’ wrong?” Jesse asks, staring at the small forms of the dragons that had beforehand loved nothing more than to let Jesse hold and pet them, “It’s like… It’s like they don’t recognize me at all.” 

“It’s strange.” Hanzo’s locked eyes with Soba and Jesse doesn’t know if Hanzo can actually speak with his dragons still, it’s something Hanzo never gave him any solid answer for. “Soba, Udon. It’s alright. Jesse’s not your enemy, you know this. He will not harm me, see?” 

Hanzo turns to give Jesse a soft kiss on his cheek, and Jesse lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when the dragons slowly relax. Udon even slowly approaches to sniff at Jesse once more before he slowly crawls up and curls in Jesse’s lap. Jesse’s scared to pet the dragon until it gives a soft questioning chirp as if asking if they’re okay now. Jesse pets along the wilder of the two dragons’ back softly as he can until Udon starts to contently purr. 

Hanzo himself seems greatly relieved, “I’m sorry they were acting strangely. They’ve never done this before, to anyone. They’re usually well behaved around people I enjoy being around.” 

Jesse can’t miss the opportunity to further lighten the situation, “You admittin’ you like me, Han? I’m touched.”

“Jesse, we’ve been together three years.” There’s a smile threatening to curl Hanzo’s lips though, a fondly exasperated one. 

A thought occurs to Jesse suddenly, and he pulls Hanzo closer before the archer returns to the bathroom to finish getting ready to shower, “Hey, Darlin’, your dragons know what you’re feelin’, yeah?”

Hanzo furrows his brow as he thinks it over and glances from the dragon curled in Jesse’s lap back up to Jesse, “I suppose they do.”

“D’ya… do ya think it’s because of what happened in the Black Forest that they were growly at me? I mean, they haven’t re-appeared since then and now they’re back.” Jesse can see Hanzo starting to take this the wrong way so he hurriedly gets to the point, “They might have been mad at me for worryin’ you so bad. I did kinda get dragged and chewed on by a  monster wolf creature right in front of you. I know that must have scared you bad.”

Hanzo deflates, his gaze downcast, “Yes, it did. I was terrified for you, I didn’t want to lose you.”

Jesse reaches to cup Hanzo’s face, strokes his beard with his thumb, “I was scared it would’ve taken you from me. But that’s why we got each other, ain’t it? We take care of each other.” Jesse pulls Hanzo closer to press foreheads with his beloved, “I got your back, darlin’.”

“And I yours.” Hanzo whispers softly before Jesse pulls him into a kiss, “As long as I’m able, I’ll be at your side.”

“So, forever then.” Jesse winks and Hanzo dips his face away so Jesse can’t see his fond smile. Jesse presses close to kiss the corner of Hanzo’s mouth just to let Hanzo know he’s not fooling anyone. 

The archer only lifts his head and kisses the tip of Jesse’s nose, “If you’ll have me.”

“Hell yeah! Wouldn’t want no other.” 

Jesse moves excitedly into Hanzo’s space for more kisses, and in doing so disturbs the dragon resting in his lap. Udon chirps, annoyed, and would have slunk back to curl up with his twin if Jesse didn’t scoop him up in apology.

“Aw, sorry, Udon. Have a kiss too.” and the dragon chirps in distress as he tries to wiggle out of Jesse’s grasp. 

It’s not enough to loosen Jesse’s grip, so the dragon is subjected to many smooches on his snout. Soba looks on passively from on the cat bed, Hanzo himself has left Jesse with the two dragon spirits to go continue getting ready for the night. Jesse only stops antagonizing the dragons when Hanzo comes back out of the bathroom and lets Jesse have his turn. Jesse joins Hanzo in their bed after a long shower, spooning right up to Hanzo’s back and wrapping his arms around him.

“Do you want your arm off, my love?” Hanzo asks, trailing his hand over Jesse’s prosthetic one.

“Hm… not tonight, Baby.” Jesse mumbles, pressing closer to rest his chin on Hanzo’s head, “Wanna hold ya real tight tonight. That okay?”

“Of course.” Jesse can hear the fond smile in Hanzo’s voice.

Sleep doesn’t come that easy to Jesse that night. He finds himself strangely attuned to every little noise and scent in their room. Plus the way the dragons had reacted to him earlier will not leave his mind. It puts him a little on edge because those dragons  _ are _ Hanzo’s protectors, and if they were reacting to Jesse that way then they were doing so for a reason. 

Jesse just can’t for the life of him think about what he might have done to offend them or make them think he’s a danger to his boyfriend. He eventually does drift off to sleep, clutching Hanzo close and protectively in the night. Jesse’ll be damned if he ever hurts Hanzo.

“ _ Of course not. Hanzo is pack.”  _ Jesse thinks to himself as he finally sinks into slumber,  _ “He’s your mate…” _

_ ———————— _

Jesse dreams of the Black Forest, only it’s just him and Hanzo, and there is no monster wolf-bear-thing threatening them. In his dream they are both running free, Hanzo’s smile so bright it’s blinding. Jesse would do anything to protect that smile, it’s such a precious thing to witness in its rarity.  

He dips to kiss his lover, and suddenly the air is static around them both.

Two massive serpents circle them both, and Jesse knows it’s Soba and Udon, but their size puts him off. They are never this size when Hanzo is comfortable, and when Jesse takes his gaze off of the two great dragons Hanzo is no longer at his side. 

“ _ Be at ease.” _

The voice isn’t Hanzo’s, but it kind of sounds like Hanzo. It’s much deeper and has a strange reverb that almost sounds like thunder. It takes Jesse a second to realize it’s not only one of the dragons, but them both. Soba and Udon have him trapped in the long cerulean coils of their massive glowing forms, and lighting sparks off their scales. Jesse dares not approach, but both Dragons have their heads levelled to Jesse’s eye level. 

“ _ Do you think we would harm you?”  _ Soba and Udon tilt their massive heads in tandem, blinking down at Jesse, they seem to be greatly amused. 

Jesse only shrugs, not really entirely sure what one says to two great dragons who suddenly after three years just decided to talk to you. 

_ “You are overwhelmed. It’s to be expected.”  _ Both dragons look to each other, and Jesse can tell they’re considering something between them.  _ “We suppose being in the coils of two dragons is off-putting for humans.” _

“A little,” Jesse admits.

The dragons loosen their tight coils so they are floating more relaxed, and Jesse takes a breath he didn’t realize he’s been holding. He takes in the appearance of them both and finds he can still tell Soba and Udon apart, even just from the way their bodies undulate as they float above the muddy ground of the Black Forest. Udon floats his massive head closer to Jesse when he approaches the great serpent, and Jesse gives Udon’s snout a pet that causes both dragons to purr deeply. 

As absolutely amazing as it is for Jesse to hang out with his boyfriend’s spirit dragons, their appearance to him confuses him. He’s in the middle of scratching Udon’s nose when Soba floats closer and Jesse voices his questions.

“I love you two, y’know I do,” Jesse reaches to scratch Soba’s nose, and the calmer of the dragons joins Udon in purring contently, “But what’s so important that calls for all this pomp and circumstance?”

It’s hard to tell which dragon answers since they speak at the same time, but Jesse assumes that Soba is leading since Udon is bothering him for more ear scratches,  _ “You’ve been changed, Jesse McCree.” _

“…What?” Jesse takes a look down at himself just to be sure. He looks the same, at least to himself, “What do you mean?”

_ “We do not know ourselves. We only sense the change in you, and what we’ve observed.” _

“Which would be?” 

_ “You growl, your nails grow rapidly, and you’ve become incredibly protective of our comrades. We see and hear everything Hanzo does, even if he is unaware. However, we feel you are not a danger to us, to him, we’ve deemed as much earlier tonight. Your continuing affection towards our master also eases our minds in this matter.”  _

“I’d never in my life hurt Hanzo.”

Both great dragons purr deeper and rub their faces against Jesse’s body,  _ “We know.”  _

Jesse gives the two dragons some more soft pets before they pull away from him entirely, looking down on him as the rainy background of the Black Forest starts to fade to black at the edges. 

_ “We’ll continue to look after you as we do our master, Jesse McCree. Take pride in this, as the favours of dragons are not easily earned. Be careful in the coming months, we do not yet know what it is these changes are that you are going through, but we’ll be there at your side, you have our word and Hanzo’s.” _

With that, both the dragons and the Black Forest fade, but not before Jesse makes eye contact with a pair of glowing gold eyes in the sudden blackness. 

————————

Jesse jolts awake. It’s close to four in the morning, if his and Hanzo’s beside clock is anything to go by, and Jesse quietly groans before settling back down. Hanzo shuffles in his arms, the archer was never a heavy sleeper, and Hanzo is soon turned to look at Jesse with eyes still heavy with sleep.

“A nightmare?” Hanzo asks, closing his eyes again and cuddling into Jesse’s chest.

Jesse just shakes his head, “No, for once it was nice. Your dragons talked to me.”

“And what did they speak of?” from the sound of Hanzo’s voice, Jesse can tell he’s a little more awake then previously. 

“A warning? I guess? If you could call it that.” and when Hanzo hums questioningly Jesse elaborates, “They told me I was “changed”, and ta be careful goin’ forward.” 

“Does their warning trouble you?”

Jesse thinks about it, all the while rubbing Hanzo’s back aimlessly, “I don’t know. They told me I was growling a lot, and they don’t know entirely what’s going on with me. They told me they’re positive that whatever is happening to me won’t be a danger to you, though.”

“I am glad for that, then.” Hanzo replies sleepily, Jesse’s ministrations on his back no doubt lulling him into slumber once more, “Sleep, Anata, so they can watch over you again.”

Jesse hums in agreement and pulls Hanzo closer to kiss him on the forehead. It takes a little while for Jesse to drift off to sleep again, but before he does he notices Soba and Udon have manifested again. The twin serpents have curled up next to Jesse’s and Hanzo’s heads, with Soba curled up close to Hanzo and Udon watching over Jesse. Udon chirps and noses at Jesse for chin scratches and Jesse gladly gives Udon the attention he seeks. There is no noise in the night except for the soft purrs of the twin dragons, and it’s the best lullaby Jesse’s heard in weeks.

Udon’s moved to rest his tiny head in the crook of Jesse’s neck as Jesse lays on his side to hold Hanzo in his arms, and Jesse can’t help but smile fondly at his strange family. Sure, the future is looking uncertain more and more every day, but at the very least he knows Hanzo is going to be right next to him. With Hanzo, Jesse feels like he can face anything. 

He’ll just have to see what the future holds, but if he’s honest, he’s ready to face it all head on with Hanzo at his side.


	4. Moonsick

It’s almost been an entire month since the attack in the Black Forest and Jesse is cleared to take missions once more. It’s something he’s incredibly thankful for. For some reason he's been feeling caged, the base too small and stifling all of a sudden. 

So Jesse asked Winston for more missions, heck, he even went on the supply runs with Lena on the transport just to leave the confines of the Watchpoint. Hanzo is clearly concerned for him, and it’s not surprising considering all the strange things happening lately with Jesse. Hanzo, however, does not bring it up, likely because he is just happy that Jesse is once again at his side on assignments. Jesse’s happy to be at Hanzo’s side as well, to be there to protect him when things start to get hairy. 

He’s also just glad to be near Hanzo during this time at all. 

Jesse thought he was being overly affectionate during the last few weeks with his lover before, but now… now it’s like he can’t go five paces without needing to know Hanzo is near. And when Hanzo is near, it’s like Jesse can’t think of anything else but his archer. Hanzo’s smile, his hair, his lips…

Hanzo’s  _ scent. _

Hanzo’s scent is what gets Jesse the most. Hanzo smells of summer storms and charged air right before a lightning strike. It takes Jesse’s breath away, he doesn’t know why he hasn’t picked up on Hanzo’s scent before now. It’s intoxicating, and Jesse admits he’s woken up many a morning the last few days with his nose pressed into Hanzo’s neck or hair. If his archer thinks it strange, he’s not saying anything about it either, only hums and pets a hand through Jesse’s terrible bed head and Jesse ascends straight to heaven in those moments. 

It’s one such moment right now, and both of them are sprawled on their bed after returning from a mission. It’ll be a month exactly tomorrow since the attack at the Black Forest, something that twinges in Jesse’s mind more than one would consider normal. He is in the middle of thinking about why it’s so forefront in his mind at the moment before Hanzo turns in his arm, and cuddles close to Jesse. With his archer’s face buried in Jesse’s chest, he takes the opportunity to bury his nose in Hanzo’s hair. The smell of shampoo makes him growl a little in frustration since it mars Hanzo’s natural scent. Jesse feels Hanzo shift in his arm to lift his face so he can look Jesse in the eyes.

“You growled again.” Hanzo mutters, pressing closer, “What has made you grumpy now?”

“It’s… ‘nother weird thing.” Jesse admits, stroking Hanzo’s cheek and letting his archer press his face into the palm of Jesse’s flesh hand, “Granted, I never thought much ‘bout how you smelled before.”

“Oh? Is it bad?” There’s a little furrow between Hanzo’s eyebrows that's way too painfully cute and Jesse gets distracted for five seconds to press a kiss to Hanzo’s forehead just above it.

“No.” Jesse adds before Hanzo can take further offence, “It’s good. Amazing. I love how you smell. You smell like thunderstorms.”

Hanzo seems to think about that for a little before he glances down to his own tattoo, eyeing the regal dragon sprawling down his entire left arm among stylized lightning and storm clouds.

“Fitting,” Hanzo says after a moment, a wry smile playing on his lips. He pokes Jesse’s nose a second later, “It does not answer why you growled, however.” The two of them have been keeping track of what sets off Jesse’s strange behaviour.

Jesse mulls it over in his head for a second as he and Hanzo snuggle closer once more, the archer resting his head on Jesse’s chest. Jesse can’t help but let his fingers glide through Hanzo’s soft hair as it continues to ponder. Hanzo is very likely nearly drifted off to sleep when Jesse finally puts words to his thoughts.

“I dunno… I guess part of me was mad that you smelled like your shampoo instead o’ your natural scent.” He shrugs, and the movement jostles Hanzo more awake to blearily look up at Jesse again.

“You like it that much to growl in annoyance when it’s covered up?” Hanzo looks sleepily amused, Jesse developing strange habits aside, and the archer cocks his head. “I’d hate to see how you’d react if I wore cologne.”

“You don’t need anythin’ of the sort, you already got a fella that loves how you smell.” Jesse shuffles to kiss Hanzo’s forehead once more.

“That makes me a lucky man, does it?” Hanzo sighs happily against Jesse’s lips when the gunslinger dips to kiss him properly.

Jesse breaks the kiss to offer Hanzo a “Hell yeah, Baby” before their lips meet again. 

It does not stay a chaste kiss for long, it never does when they’ve been affectionate in the late hours after missions, and soon Hanzo’s rolled them both over so he can hover over Jesse with a smirk. The archer dips to press more kisses to Jesse’s lips and it’s not long before Hanzo deepens the kisses shared between them. Jesse won’t admit that he whines needfully into the kiss when Hanzo starts to get greedy and bully Jesse’s legs apart to slot himself between them. 

They don’t wear too much to bed to begin with, just their underwear since Jesse is a furnace at all times of the day and Hanzo is just a heat sink, and any extra cloth beside the blankets makes their shared space stifling. Not that it isn’t stifling at the moment, both of them pressing into each other’s space for more greedy kisses, hips beginning to roll against one another to seek out sweet friction. The heat between them is made both worse and so  _ so  _ much better when Hanzo’s hand sneaks between their rolling hips to grab Jesse’s length where it is beginning to strain against his boxers.

“Underwear off. Now.” Hanzo’s hand gives Jesse a mean squeeze just as it follows the length of him to where the tip threatens to peak out of Jesse’s plaid boxers. It nearly makes Jesse keen, no,  _ howl. _

“Love when you get all bossy.” Jesse’s breathless with the anticipation, he always is. Hanzo burns him up something terrible, and he’s not afraid to admit how much he loves being intimate with his lover. 

All sleepiness has seemed to have been sapped from Hanzo’s form, because his touches and kisses get more insistent the longer Jesse goes without removing his boxers. Jesse gets the satisfaction of seeing just how affected Hanzo is at their current state of affairs when his archer shifts up on what remains of his knees to pull Jesse’s underwear off himself. Hanzo’s boxer briefs follow Jesse’s to pile on the floor shortly after and he crawls back into Jesse’s space to slot their bodies together once more.

“Goddamn, Honey.” is all Jesse can breathe out before Hanzo rolls their hips together once so their cocks slide against one another. 

Jesse laments the fact his prosthetic arm is sitting on the bedside table when his flesh hand flies to Hanzo’s hips to hold as Hanzo continues his teasing. Hanzo’s not one to leave a lover wanting though, and he leans down to nip and kiss along Jesse’s scruffy jaw before he nuzzles into his temple.

“Do you want your arm?” Hanzo asks softly, and his hips slow to actually let Jesse stop his punched out little grunts of pleasure so he may answer unhindered. 

“Please, Baby. Need’ta hold ya properly…” 

Hanzo only nods and he kisses Jesse once, twice before he lifts off of Jesse to retrieve his prosthetic and dig around in the drawer beside their bed for lubricant. It’s colder without Hanzo’s heat, the blankets having been kicked to the end of the bed and off of it in their initial enthusiasm. The nice view of Hanzo’s ass makes up for it though, and Jesse gives it a playful swat that earns him a look thrown over Hanzo’s shoulder that makes him flush hotter and forget the cold. 

Hanzo returns with Jesse’s arm and the lube a moment later, setting the half-empty bottle up near Jesse’s head before he dips to kiss Jesse before his hand gently rubs over what remains of Jesse’s left arm. 

“Ready?” Hanzo presses a kiss to the seams of scars that run up from the port where Jesse’s arm connects. Reconnecting it is never fun, and Hanzo knows this.

Jesse just grimaces before he nods, “Jus’ do it.”

Hanzo nods and presses a few more kisses to the scar tissue before he lines up Jesse’s prosthetic and slips it into place. Jesse’s entire left arm alights with a sudden flash of pain as his nerves are reconnected with artificial ones. Hanzo holds him through it, kisses his temple and massages the connection point after the initial flash of pain recedes. 

They pause in their need to cuddle and kiss, to make sure Jesse is alright before Hanzo wishes to continue. Jesse reaches to rub what remains of Hanzo’s legs below the archer’s knee, not envious at all at Hanzo’s prosthetic lower legs that are set on the floor at the foot of their bed. If reattaching his arm hurt like a bitch, he can’t imagine how Hanzo’s feel. The thought of his lover in pain make a whine rise unbidden in his throat, and Jesse presses close to devour Hanzo’s lips in a more impassioned kiss. 

“Can I love on ya?” Jesse asks when Hanzo parts from him to lavish Jesse’s neck and shoulder with nips and kisses. The archer only pauses when Jesse repeats his question and elaborates with “I wanna make you feel good tonight, baby. Wanna lay you down and treat ya like a gentleman would.”

Hanzo parts from Jesse’s neck after leaving a mark that is sure to be noticeable just peeking over Jesse’s shirt come morning, and levels a considering gaze Jesse’s way, fingers stroking through Jesse’s chest hair. 

“You and I both know I don’t want a gentleman.” Hanzo’s gaze is hungry, and Jesse finds the whine building once more in his throat, but he swallows it down.

“Then I’ll be what you need me ta be.” Jesse punctuates his statement by rolling them both until their positions are once more flipped and he slots himself between Hanzo’s ruined legs. 

The archer accepts the rough kiss, and the bites and nibbles to his lips when Jesse figures out his advances to take control tonight are not unwanted. There are times, rare times, where Hanzo wants his control taken away, tonight seems like one of those nights. It’s what Hanzo needs, sometimes, and Jesse’s more than happy to offer his love some respite and let Hanzo take what he has to offer. 

Both hands, mechanical and flesh, are greedy when they map Hanzo’s body. It’s a landscape Jesse knows well, he’s had three years to discover every secret it holds and how to master bringing Hanzo pleasure, just as Hanzo knows his. Jesse kisses his way from Hanzo’s lips down his archer’s neck, stops short of travelling down to Hanzo’s chest when he reaches the junction of Hanzo’s neck and shoulder. It’s a pull Jesse can’t explain, a sudden infatuation with this part of Hanzo’s anatomy out of nowhere that blindsides him. So he kisses that expanse of skin, laps at it with his tongue as he rolls his hips against Hanzo’s. Slow, tender and worshipful. 

A tiny voice in the back of his mind whispers  _ my mate, mark him. He’s mine. _

Jesse can’t act on the voice’s request when Hanzo grabs his hair and tugs him up into a rough kiss. The urgency of it makes it clear that Hanzo wants things to move along and move along right fucking now. It makes Jesse huff a little in amusement but he obliges. Jesse knows all the ways to please Hanzo, he won’t leave the archer waiting for long. 

They’re both too busy kissing over and over for Jesse to do anything more than fumble blindly for the lube. He pulls back long enough from kissing Hanzo senseless to grin lopsidedly and run a hand through Hanzo’s sweaty locks.

“Want me inside you tonight, baby? Or do you want this cowboy to ride?”

Hanzo catches his breath as he considers, his eyes roaming Jesse’s body with that hungry gaze again that makes Jesse preen. He knows what Hanzo will choose before Hanzo does, sees the way his archer eyes his waist and his love handles before locking eyes with Jesse again. The way Hanzo nibbles his own bottom lip makes Jesse lean down to kiss Hanzo’s lips gently before he worries Hanzo’s lip between his own teeth. Callused hands slide to his hips and Jesse breaks the kiss to find Hanzo smirking up at him.

“Do what you do best, cowboy.” 

Jesse can’t help but grin, shuffling to sit astride Hanzo’s hips and teasingly roll his hips down, “Oh darlin’, ya think I can tame you this time?”

“I’d like to see you try,” Hanzo smirks up at him, and it’s all cockiness and playfulness that Hanzo rarely shows to others. It makes Jesse giddy, that only he’s close enough with Hanzo to see him like this. 

Jesse leans down to kiss Hanzo deep, passing the lube into his hand, “Do the honours then, Honey. Gotta be prepared before I ride.”

There’s a little bit of a fond eye roll Hanzo does before he takes the lube from Jesse, warming the bottle itself in his hand while he and Jesse continue to rut mindlessly and kiss each other senseless. Hanzo’s fingers feel fucking amazing inside when Hanzo starts to prep Jesse, the calluses on the archer’s deft fingers rubbing against his walls in all the best ways. Not to mention the archer is almost cruelly efficient, seeking Jesse’s prostate with the accuracy Hanzo is known for. They’ve barely gotten to the good part and Jesse’s moaning and wiggling impatiently already, to Hanzo’s great amusement. 

“So impatient, my love.” Hanzo whispers, watching Jesse’s face as he crooks his fingers  _ just so _ to see Jesse’s eyes flutter closed in pleasure, “Eager to ride, are you?”

“God, God yes, Baby.” Jesse babbles, pressing down against the pressure of Hanzo’s fingers, “You’re drivin’ me mad as all hell. God, I want ya.”

“Are you ready?” Hanzo asks, punctuating his question with another brush against Jesse’s prostate that makes him moan, “Because you can have me.”

“Goddamn, am I ever,” Jesse says in reply, leaning down to kiss Hanzo softly before he reluctantly pulls away from Hanzo’s fingers.

Hanzo gets comfortable and helps Jesse settle over his cock, and soon Jesse is sinking down onto Hanzo with a long, content groan. Hanzo’s hands are settled on Jesse’s hips as Jesse adjusts to the intrusion, and Jesse leans down to press his lips to Hanzo’s over and over to pass the time. Soon Jesse rolls his hips in little semi-circles to test if he himself is ready, enjoying the little gasps of pleasure that leave Hanzo’s parted lips as he does. 

Jesse eventually picks up the pace, rocking himself down on Hanzo over and over, but he’s loathe to part from where he’s stealing kisses from Hanzo. Their faces are barely inches apart, mouths constantly meeting for sweet kisses. Jesse’s got Hanzo’s face cradled between his hands, running his thumbs over those regal cheekbones and rubbing his flesh fingers against the grain of the peach fuzz of Hanzo’s buzzed temples, feeling dizzy from the shared air. 

Hanzo’s hands are not idle either, they’re trailing paths all over Jesse’s body. Jesse startles when Hanzo’s hands wander all the way to give Jesse’s bum a squeeze, and it causes both of them to burst into a fit of giggles before silencing each other with more kisses. 

Jesse’s mouth eventually trails a path from Hanzo’s lips to Hanzo’s neck, taking every opportunity he can between his own moans to make marks on Hanzo’s skin. One of Hanzo’s hands only drift upwards from playing with Jesse’s ass to twine his fingers in Jesse’s hair. The minute tugs make Jesse moan louder and nip and kiss more marks along Hanzo’s neck. 

Hanzo cannot do much to but attempt to wiggle to reciprocate Jesse’s movements without his lower legs to help with leverage, so once Jesse deems Hanzo’s neck good and decorated with marks Jesse sits up properly astride his lover. He gives Hanzo a flirty wink before snatching up his hat from the bedside table.

“Gotta look the part.” Jesse laughs breathlessly, rolling his hips down against Hanzo’s. 

Hanzo’s eyes are focused on Jesse and Jesse alone, dark with want and untamed affection. It sends a thrill down Jesse’s spine and he leans back to show off more of his body for Hanzo as he slows the movements of his hips. Jesse doesn’t want this to end just yet, not with the way Hanzo’s hands smooth up Jesse’s belly all the way to his chest, tugging at the ample amount of chest hair Jesse sports. Hanzo’s touch has never ceased to be worshipful, and Jesse is addicted to the feeling of it on his body. 

Jesse shudders as Hanzo drags his nails down Jesse’s front, not enough to truly hurt Jesse but just enough to cause marks of Hanzo’s own make. It earns Hanzo another buck of Jesse’s hips, and another again when Hanzo drags a hand through the thick curls at the base of Jesse’s cock to take it in hand. Jesse whines at the touch and can’t seem to decide if he wants to buck up into Hanzo’s hand or down onto Hanzo’s cock.

Jesse’s head is tilted back in bliss at the duel sensations of Hanzo inside him and around him, and they’ve fallen together like this so many times that he knows the look Hanzo is giving him. All of the Hanzo’s peerless concentration is on Jesse in these moments, his hand slowly pumping Jesse’s cock, dragging the foreskin back and forth over the head in a maddeningly measured slide that draws from Jesse long and ragged moans of need. It contrasts with the pace Jesse has set for himself, riding Hanzo hard, chasing his own end.

Hanzo’s free hand is a warm, anchoring weight on Jesse’s thigh, and the archer has foregone English entirely to coo sweet nothings and encouragements to his lover in Japanese. Jesse has heard the phrases enough to come to know what they mean. That doesn’t mean that he is unaffected by the tone in which they are uttered, and Jesse’s hand flies to join Hanzo’s on his thigh to squeeze.

“I have you.” Hanzo practically purrs, back to English, “Let go, Jess. I’ll catch you.”

It’s all Jesse needs, and all the warning Hanzo gave himself before Jesse cums over Hanzo’s belly with a long appreciative groan. Hanzo strokes Jesse through it, whispering filthy praises that make Jesse blush even after all this time. Jesse lifts off of Hanzo, unable to help the sigh of loss he makes when Hanzo slips out of inside him.

Wordlessly, Jesse settles into Hanzo’s side and takes Hanzo’s cock in hand. Jesse peppers more kisses to Hanzo’s neck, adding more and renewing marks he left earlier as he works to jerk Hanzo off. Hanzo only undulates his body best he can, trying to get more friction from Jesse’s hand, gasping like a man desperate for air. Jesse encourages him in low murmurs of Spanish into Hanzo’s ear.  
  
Jesse knows Hanzo is close when he is dragged into a heated kiss. Jesse takes his hand off of Hanzo’s cock to roll over him, blanketing Hanzo in his warmth and affection. Hanzo has his arms around Jesse’s shoulders in seconds, pulling him closer still and kissing him desperately. Jesse sneaks a hand between them and gives Hanzo’s cock two more strokes before Hanzo cums between their bodies.   
  
“There we go.” Jesse coos, kissing along Hanzo’s jaw, running his fingers through sweaty locks of dark hair.  
  
Hanzo’s hair is a messy halo around his head, the grey in his hair practically glowing silver in what moonlight has illuminated their space. Jesse had never fully understood what anyone meant when referring to the post-coital moments as an afterglow until he’d lain with Hanzo. His lover, bathed in moonlight and looking so sated and sleepy was an ethereal sight indeed.   
  
Jesse still finds it hard to believe that Hanzo is his sometimes.   
  
“I’ll get a cloth ta clean us up,” Jesse mumbles against Hanzo’s cheek when he presses more kisses to his beloved’s face.   
  
Hanzo hums softly and steals more kisses before he allows Jesse to move from him. When they both are as clean as they can get until they shower in the morning, Jesse pulls the blankets back up around them from where they’d been kicked to the end of the bed. Hanzo slots himself against Jesse’s chest when the blankets are in place, and Jesse curls his arms around Hanzo.   
  
At this moment, there is no place Jesse would rather be.


	5. Bad Moon Rising

The next day Jesse just feels weird.

He wakes up ravenous, and he swears he nearly eats his own weight in breakfast foods while Hanzo watches stunned beside him.

“…did our activities last night cause a chasm in your stomach?” the archer muses just loud enough for Jesse’s ears, unable to stop his smile when Jesse turns to him with cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk.

Jesse swallows his food down and follows it with coffee. He doesn’t even stop to wait for it to cool. Hanzo just continues to watch him, and now he’s not the only one. Genji’s paused with a spoon halfway to his mouth across from them both watching in horrified fascination as Jesse destroys the breakfast he’s piled high on his plate.

“Did Hanzo forget to bring you supper last night?” Genji asks, raising an eyebrow, “Do I have to reprimand my brother for treating you ill? Say the word, I’ll kick his ass for your honour.”

Jesse at least has an empty mouth while he laughs hard at Hanzo’s expense. He can feel the signature Shimada side eye boring into him from Hanzo’s direction. Jesse lets a hand wander to gently rub Hanzo’s knee to placate him.

“Nah, I ate last night.” Jesse answers, thoughtfully chewing on a sausage now, “I’m just… I’m just fuckin’ hungry. I dunno why.”

Jesse also just feels a little on edge, and he doesn’t know why that would be either. When he and Hanzo train after their brunch, he’s more vicious on the practice range. He even uses Deadeye, to see if that would alleviate how pent up he feels, but it does nothing more than make him grumpier. The only thing that is a balm on his nerves is Hanzo.

“My love, are you certain you are alright?” Hanzo asks as he’s shampooing Jesse’s hair in the shower after their daily training, “You’ve been acting strange, or stranger rather, ever since breakfast.”

Jesse forces himself to open his eyes when he’d much rather them stay closed, half in the bliss of Hanzo’s hands massaging his scalp half so the shampoo doesn’t get in his eyes. Hanzo is looking up at him in concern, but all Jesse can think about is how beautiful his lover looks with his hair slicked down against his skin in inky streams. It looks stunning against all the marks Jesse left on Hanzo’s neck last night.

Hanzo tries to repeat the question when he realizes Jesse’s not listening, only for Jesse to dip to kiss him roughly, and neither of them can get a word in for the remainder of their shower past their own moans. Jesse’s mood is a little better after that, a new set of marks on Hanzo’s neck the main reason for the change.

The glare Hanzo gives him when he’s trying to sift through his meager amount of clothing for a shirt with a higher collar than the one he was wearing earlier his entirely worth it.

Neither of them are being sent on missions for at least another few days, so they decide to spend the rest of their afternoon off watching movies cuddled up in their dorm. They join the rest of the team for supper, where Genji comments on Jesse’s improved mood. Hanzo in the meantime has borrowed Jesse’s serape in lieu of owning any turtlenecks, and he plans to change that their next shopping trip.

Both of them retire to their dorm just before sunset. They’d spent two hours after supper spending time with the team before Jesse asks Hanzo to return to their room, as he’s suddenly not feeling too good. When they’re back in the room, Jesse sits heavily on their shared bed while Hanzo frets over him.

“You’re burning up…” Hanzo’s hand is cool against Jesse’s forehead, and Jesse leans into the touch, “Did you eat anything strange at dinner.”

“Nothin’ I haven’t eaten before.” Jesse whines when Hanzo moves away, looking after the archer longingly, “You’ll take care o’ me, yeah?”

“You just want me to baby you,” Hanzo observes as he’s preparing a cold cloth in their bathroom to place on Jesse’s forehead. He crosses their dorm to Jesse’s side once more and coaxes Jesse into laying down, before laying the cloth on Jesse’s brow, “There. If it gets worse, I’ll contact Angela. Would you like your arm off, Anata?”

“Please. It feels like it’s pinchin’.”

Jesse holds up his prosthetic to Hanzo, who tenderly holds Jesse’s hand in his and kisses all the metal fingers before starting to work it loose from the port. Jesse just holds the cold cloth to his forehead as he braces against the brief flash of pain when his arm is removed. Hanzo sets it on the bedside table before he roots around in the drawer for the lotion to massage the chafed skin around the port.

“Here.” Hanzo murmurs softly as he massages the sore skin, “I can at least do this while we wait to see if you need Angela’s help.”

“Thank ya, Babe.” Jesse smiles a little and loses himself to the relaxing sensation of Hanzo’s fingers working out the soreness of his arm.

Outside, the sun sinks below the waves in the strait, and Hanzo remains a steadfast sentinel at Jesse’s bedside. The fever has gotten worse as the night has begun to set in, and Hanzo is in the middle of changing the cold cloth for Jesse and sending a message Angela’s way when a sudden crash has him bolting upright from where he has leaned against the sink. It’s followed by a groan of pain that has Hanzo hurrying from the bathroom.

“Anata?”

Hanzo finds Jesse on the floor, their end table upturned behind him. Jesse is clutching his head tight with his one hand, and Hanzo is immediately at Jesse’s side.

“Let me see… did you hit your head?” Hanzo reaches for Jesse, only to have him pull away and whimper.

“Nah, I didn’t… didn’t hit my head… it jus’ _hurts_.” Jesse shudders suddenly, curls in further on himself, “God. I hurt all over. I dunno what’s goin’ on.”

Hanzo brings Jesse into his arms, pets a hand through Jesse’s hair and soothes him best he can, “Angela is on her way. We’ll figure out what’s happening to you.” Hanzo tries to keep his voice calm, it wouldn’t do to rile up Jesse further.

Jesse, in turn, is clinging to Hanzo tight, his arm wrapped around his archer like a vice. Hanzo thinks nothing of it until Jesse shudders again in his arms and there’s the distinct sound of tearing. Hanzo has to turn his head awkwardly to look where Jesse’s remaining hand is fisted in the shoulder of his shirt. Only there’s not much of that fabric left, long strips torn from it from long black claws on the ends of Jesse’s fingertips.

“…Jesse?”

Jesse replies with a canine sounding whimper, his grip tightening on Hanzo’s clothes, _“It hurts.”_ he repeats, and he’s starting to shudder more violently in Hanzo’s arms. Out of nowhere, there’s the sudden sickening sound of bones snapping as Jesse cries out in pain.

“Jesse!” Hanzo takes his hands off of Jesse to try to pull away to see just what it is that’s happening to his lover, but Jesse holds tight to him and their eyes meet.

Jesse’s eyes are not the beautiful brown Hanzo knows. They’re bright gold, even glowing in the dim lighting of their room. They’re eerily similar to the eyes of the creature that attacked them in the Black Forest, and Hanzo feels a chill run down his spine. Jesse must pick up on Hanzo’s sudden fear because he finally lets the archer go, and Hanzo scoots back a little. Without Hanzo to support him, Jesse falls forward to writhe on the floor, his clawed hand coming to clutch at his own head.

There’s a ripping noise as Jesse seems to start to double in size, dark brown fur sprouting from Jesse’s back as his shirt tears. Hanzo’s backed all the way up to the wall of the bedroom, staring in shock at his lover as he transforms slowly into the same creature that attacked them exactly a month ago.

This entire thing hasn’t even been going on for a minute but it feels like hours and like Hanzo’s watching this entire thing in some weird dreamlike state. The only thing that wakes Hanzo from his stupor is that Angela is on her way, and that’s what spurs him into action. Hanzo makes his way as quickly as possible to the door of their dorm and locks it shut. He doesn’t know if Jesse’s going to be dangerous if he does turn into a similar creature to the Black Forest monster, and all he considers at the moment is that Angela wouldn’t stand a chance against him if he does.

A long, pained cry that tapers off into an honest to god howl sounds behind Hanzo and he freezes before slowly turning from the door. On the floor where Jesse once was is a large slumped form of a creature that is panting heavily and whining. If it wasn’t for the missing arm and the tatters of what remains of Jesse’s clothing hanging off of it, Hanzo would have denied his lover and the creature before him were one in the same.

Slowly, Jesse pushes his new hulking form off the floor as Hanzo watches frozen. At full height, Jesse is now easily taller then Reinhardt, but when their eyes meet again Jesse hunches down closer to the ground. The fur around his now elongated muzzle is still shaggy, just like his beard is, and there are now triangular ears on top of Jesse’s head. The ears, however, are flicked back, and the short tail Jesse now sports is tucked between his legs.

_A wolf. Jesse’s a wolfman._

Hanzo doesn’t even know what to do, doesn’t move when Jesse starts to slowly approach him with a soft whimper. The dragons stir under Hanzo’s skin, but they do not rise to protect Hanzo from the wolf Jesse has become.

_“There’s nothing to protect you from.”_ The dragons suddenly speak, echoing in Hanzo’s mind, _“Watch. Listen.”_

Jesse is upon Hanzo now and even hunched his turned lover is still much taller. A big paw comes up to stroke Hanzo’s cheek, and without thinking Hanzo mirrors it, bringing his hand up to cradle Jesse’s long muzzle. There’s a gentle lick to his palm that breaks a dam, and Hanzo flings himself into the wolf man’s space to hold him.

“Jess.” Hanzo gasps, fingers digging into thick, soft fur, “I don’t… you’re a wolfman.”

Jesse just whimpers and pulls Hanzo closer to his body with his one arm. There’s a strange sound like low baying, but soon there is a word there formed with a mouth not used to speaking it, “Han… zo.”

It’s enough to have Hanzo pulling back to look up at Jesse in surprise, eyes wide as he looks up at his now wolfman boyfriend. Considering the last time they ran into a creature like this there wasn’t chance for conversation with it, there wasn’t much of a chance to test if it was intelligent enough to speak.

“You talk.” is about as much of an intelligent reply Hanzo himself can muster at the moment. This night is going to be a long one, he feels.

Jesse’s tail slowly starts to wag, “Y-yes, Hanzo. I can.” Jesse seems to be catching onto this whole speaking business. Jesse always had a silver tongue.

“Heh.” Hanzo just rests his forehead against Jesse’s fluffy chest, “This _is_ happening, isn’t it? You’re really just… all of a sudden a wolf. Okay.”

Jesse softly whines and his arm curls around Hanzo to hold him close, “…Scared?”

Hanzo has to think for a moment before he shakes his head, “No, I trust you. My dragons also told me you would not hurt me, and I trust them as well. They’ve never lead me astray.”

“Protect you.” Jesse’s chest rumbles with a low, content growl under Hanzo’s cheek, “You’re my mate.”

“…I suppose I am, aren’t I?” Hanzo muses.

They’re interrupted from continuing that topic of conversation when suddenly there’s the rapid knock at the door and the concerned voice of one Doctor Angela Ziegler muffled behind it. Hanzo can feel Jesse tense suddenly against him and pull the archer closer, and there’s a sudden threatening growl coming from Jesse. It makes Hanzo try to pull away from Jesse so he can fully take in the wolf man’s body language, only for Jesse to hold Hanzo tighter to him.

“Jess, Jesse, my love it’s alright, it’s Angela.” Hanzo tries to soothe Jesse by petting his chest, “You know her, don’t you?”

“Keep Hanzo safe.”Jesse answers instead, holding steadfast in his position with Hanzo held tight to himself.

“My love, I’m the safest I can possibly be. Angela is here for you, remember. Or, she was.” Hanzo looks at Jesse for a second, considering, “I don’t think she has a veterinary license though.”

Jesse makes what Hanzo assumes is the wolf equivalent of a laugh, which amounts to a series of short chuffs. His grip eases up on Hanzo, and the archer slowly moves from Jesse’s side. With the wolf seemingly allowing him his space to talk to Angela, Hanzo quietly approaches the door. However, it’s not long before the wolf is at Hanzo’s back again, Jesse’s massive head resting on Hanzo’s shoulder with a soft whine. It wasn’t like Hanzo was going to open the door for Angela anyways, with Jesse like this, so he supposes it really doesn’t matter if Jesse is clingy at the moment. Hanzo can still hear Angela passed the door.

“I’m here, sorry. I’m… dealing with something at the moment.”

“Hanzo? Is everything okay? The others said they heard quite a few noises coming from your room, and I’m sorry I took so long. May I come in?”

Hanzo bites his lip and side eyes the massive wolf snout resting on his shoulder, remembering the snarl Jesse made when he first heard her voice. The dragons had promised Hanzo that Jesse wouldn’t hurt him but hadn’t said anything about the others. “I don’t think that’s wise at the moment, Dr. Ziegler.”

“What? Why? I thought you asked me to check on Jesse?”

“I did.” Hanzo absentmindedly reaches up to scratch under Jesse’s chin, “But… Ah, _he_ is my situation, you see. I also do not know how equipped you are for…” He pauses and looks at Jesse’s elongated snout and the rows of pointed teeth, “…wolves.”

“ _Wolves?_ ” Her tone goes high pitched with disbelief and it makes Jesse bark and snarl again as his pained ears flick back against his scalp, Hanzo cradles his head in his hand. It is turning out to be a long night. Angela tries to open the door, “What on Earth is going on in there?”

There’s no sense in beating around the bush, “Jesse’s become some sort of wolfman.”

There’s silence on the other side of the door before there’s a flat “What.”

“The noise was probably the nightstand falling over when Jesse fell and the howl Jesse made when he finished transforming.” Hanzo states, adding as an afterthought, “Into a wolfman.”

“Hanzo Shimada,” Angela begins, her tone suggesting she’s already had a long day, “if you are joking—“

“I wish I was.” Hanzo hears Jesse make a low annoyed growl and he turns slightly to scratch Jesse’s ears in apology, “But I am not.”

“Then may I come in and see for myself?” it’s sounding more and more like Angela is losing her patience. Her bedside manner can only take her so far when a possible patient is being stubborn.

“I still do not think that is wise.” Despite Hanzo’s attempts to calm Jesse, the wolf man’s ears are still flicked back and his fangs are bared a little, and Jesse’s fur is standing on end. “Jesse is still on edge.” Hanzo thinks for a moment, “You have your personal phone on you, yes?”

“I do.”

“I’ll send you a picture of him.”

Hanzo has to sidle his way around the large wolfman who won’t leave his personal space for five moments to go retrieve his personal phone from the nightstand. Getting Jesse to stay still for the picture proves difficult, and the Jesse wolf actually snarls and acts like a petulant brat when the flash blinds him momentarily.

“Oh hush.” Hanzo chastises as he sends Angela the photos, “You’re fine, Jess.”

“Warn me.” Is all Jesse says before he sets his big head on Hanzo’s shoulder again.

Hanzo has to slide past the large wolfman in his way again so he can speak with Angela through the door. Predictably, Jesse follows, this time resting his chin on top of Hanzo’s head. There’s silence on the other end of the door when Hanzo approaches, and he gives Angela a little bit of time for the situation to truly sink in before he speaks once more.

“Do you see the issue now?”

There's a little moment of silence before he hears Angela sighs heavily, “I don’t know how to fix this without running various tests on Jesse, and I’m not entirely sure how receptive he’d be to those at the moment.”

There’s a deep, low growl above Hanzo’s head that’s answer enough.

Angela must be leaning against the door or very close to it, because even Hanzo can hear the _tap tap tap_ of her heels on the floor as she thinks, “The only way I can run tests most likely is if we sedate Jesse.”

Hanzo thinks of the tiny doctor and the easily seven-foot tall wolf behind him, “I would feel better if you didn't approach him with pointy objects at the moment.”

“Of course not.” Angela replies, “I would have to get you to sedate him. The fact that you yourself are not in pieces shows that _you_ _are_ the safest person on base at the moment. You’d have to give him the needle because he seems to still know who you are.”

Hanzo is not entirely fond of this idea already.

“Let me speak to him of this plan.”

When Hanzo does relay the plan to Jesse, the wolf is less than pleased. Jesse’s ears flick back against his scalp and he bares his teeth at Hanzo. In response to Jesse’s display, Hanzo takes a cautionary step back that has the wolf hunching down further in sudden shame. Hanzo eventually steps closer and rubs between Jesse’s ears to show that he’s still not as terrified as he probably should be of the wolfman.

“Sorry.” Jesse apologizes, though he bares his fangs a little as he goes on. “Don’t like this plan. Don’t like it one bit.”

“It might be one of our only options, Jess,” Hanzo explains, holding the sides of Jesse’s long face in his hands. “We need to figure out what all of _this_ is. I doubt you want to remain like this forever.”

“No, I don’t.” the wolfman agrees, “Don’t wanna scare ya no more, Han. Can’t protect a mate that’s scared. But I don’t wanna hurt mate, either, if I don’t like the needle.”

“You won’t.” Hanzo rubs the top of Jesse’s muzzle, gives the wolfman scratches between the eyes that has the wolfman closing them in bliss and his tail wagging slowly, “I trust you not to, even like this.”

“You’re really okay?” Jesse’s now large, golden eyes are open again and focused on Hanzo, “With me like this? I don’t remind ya of the big bad wolf from the Black Forest too much?”

“…Initially, you did.” Hanzo admits.

Jesse whines, “Sorry. The last thing I want is to scare ya.”

“It’s nothing you did, it’s just-” Hanzo takes in Jesse’s huge form, and where the Black Forest wolf was a large looking creature, Jesse is both larger and thickly muscled. Jesse’s infinitely more terrifying than the wolf that had attacked them both. “Lets put it this way. The creature that attacked us couldn’t hold a candle to you.”

“I dunno if I should be flattered or worried by that, Han.”

“Both,” Hanzo says tiredly. “Be both. But this is a conversation we can have later. Are you willing to go through with this plan?”

Jesse bares his fangs once more, his ears flattening tighter to his large head. He does snarl, but it dies down when Hanzo only continues to stare Jesse down. Jesse whines next, looking at Hanzo pleadingly, large golden eyes doing their best puppy dog impression. Hanzo remains steadfast, now with an eyebrow raised.

“Even with me as a wolf, the eyes still don’t work on ya, huh?” Jesse laments, pressing forward to headbutt Hanzo’s chest, “I’ll do it for you because you’re my mate an’ I love ya.”

“The faster we get this over with, the faster we can figure out how to fix this.” Hanzo wraps his arms around Jesse’s neck in a hug, “I’ll let Angela know.”

Jesse whines when Hanzo approaches the door, only this time Jesse stays a few paces behind him. Hanzo gives the door a few knocks to let Angela know he’s back at the door once more.

“How did he take it?” Angela asks.

“Surprisingly well.” Hanzo replies, leaning against the door, “I suppose you do not have the sedative on hand, do you?”

“No, I do not, I will have to return to the clinic and grab a sedative for him. I might use the amount someone of Reinhardt’s size would need. I don’t know if he’d burn it off quicker since I do not know the nature of this transformation or the metabolism of a wolf-man. I will have to work quickly.”

“Yes, that would be wise.” Hanzo looks back to Jesse, and the wolf-man slowly wags his tail in response when he realizes Hanzo is looking at him, “I will watch over Jesse here while you are away.”

“I’m going to put the base under medical lockdown for everyone’s safety, are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“If he’s not hurt me by now then I’m certain will be fine.” Hanzo moves from the door but stays within hearing range of Angela, “Though if that changes, I will let you know immediately.”

“Very well. I will be on my way.” Angela gives what Hanzo assumes is a reassuring _tap tap_ on the door that is meant for him. “Sit tight, Hanzo, Jesse. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

Hanzo listens to her heels tap down the corridor before he turns back into the room to resign himself to wait. Moments later, the thick metal locks meant for lockdown situations slide home with a thud as Athena’s voice announces a temporary medical quarantine. Hanzo just sits on the edge of his and Jesse’s shared bed.

Jesse himself sinks onto all fours, or threes in Jesse’s case, and approaches Hanzo. Hanzo raises a hand to stop the apology he can already see on Jesse’s face before the wolf-man even utters it. Hanzo then uses that same hand to pat his lap, offering Jesse a place to lay his head while they wait. Jesse happily takes the offer, resting his heavy head on Hanzo’s lap, careful not to strain the archer’s knees.

All that’s left for them to do is wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both of my talented artists what I worked alongside during the big bang are features in this chapter!
> 
> You can find more of Bunny's art [here!](http://beetleknee.tumblr.com)  
> and Adel's art [here!](http://rottenadel.tumblr.com)


	6. Hanzo and the Wolf

Jesse paces the small space of his and Hanzo’s shared dorm. Jesse had grown restless and had started pacing and sniffing at everything. Hanzo watches the huge wolf-like form of his boyfriend as he makes his rounds. Angela is hopefully on her way with the sedative, but god knows when she’ll be arriving.

Or how they’ll get Jesse to the med bay for examination. 

Hanzo sits cross-legged on the bed, watching Jesse sniff at all of their personal belongings. Jesse’s own serape and Hanzo’s silk hair scarf is draped over the desk chair pressed against the wall. Jesse is excitedly nosing at both articles of clothing. Hanzo has to dive to catch a bottle of Jesse’s favourite bourbon when it almost topples from being knocked over by Jesse’s tail as it wags.

“Careful.” Hanzo chastises, moving past the huge form of Jesse to place the bourbon back on the desk. 

Hanzo moves Jesse’s little potted cactus closer to the wall the desk is pushed against, just to be safe. Jesse sits and watches Hanzo with those huge gold eyes, his tail still flapping against the floor of their dorm. Even sitting, he’s still nearly as tall as Hanzo. 

“Angela should be back soon,” Hanzo says, returning to their bed to sit. 

Jesse shuffles over and rests his huge head on Hanzo’s thigh. Hanzo just sighs softly and rests a hand on the back of Jesse’s head. Jesse gives a pleased growl when Hanzo starts to rub the back of his head. Jesse’s tail wags harder, and Hanzo can hear it hit against the legs of the desk. 

“Still don’t like the plan.” Jesse’s voice is a rumble past the content growls. 

“I know.” Hanzo rubs the bridge of Jesse’s muzzle, and those huge gold eyes close in bliss and Jesse’s tail whips back and forth faster, “But we need answers.”

“I guess.” Jesse rumbles again, “I feel fine.”

“Feeling fine doesn’t mean you are fine.” Hanzo thinks back to the transformation, of Jesse writhing on the floor in pain and the sound of cracking bones. “I would like the peace of mind.”

“Fair. Can’t argue with my mate.” Jesse lifts his head to press his cold nose to Hanzo’s cheek. A kind of kiss, Hanzo figures. 

Hanzo’s phone buzzes suddenly where it's resting near the head of the bed, and Jesse almost comically whips his head around, ears perked at attention. Hanzo answers it and doesn’t bother putting it on speaker. He figures Jesse can hear anyway. 

“Hello?” 

“Ah, Hanzo.” Angela seems relieved to hear his voice, “Everything is still alright?”

“Yes.” Hanzo can’t help but reach over to rub one of Jesse’s ears between his fingers. Jesse’s ear is as soft as it looks.

Jesse huffs and moves away from Hanzo’s touch, ears flicking but still perked in the direction of the phone. He still growls at the sound of Angela’s voice, but still looks to Hanzo for reassurance. Hanzo gives him a nod.

“That’s good,” Angela continues, “But… I’m afraid I’ve hit a snag in our plan.”

“I can guess.” Hanzo looks over to the hulking form of Jesse. “How we’re going to move him?”

“Exactly. I could bring a gurney there, but there’s the chance he will not fit on it or he’ll wake up before we can get him set up for the tests. I do not know how quickly he would burn off the sedative while he’s in this state.” Angela blows a frustrated raspberry. 

Hanzo chews his lip and looks Jesse over, gears turning in his head.

“The base is on lockdown, correct?” Hanzo asks Angela after a moment of silence passes.

“It is.” Angela confirms, “Why? What are you thinking?”

“I could lead him there if you are able to hide away until I can get him settled.” Hanzo replies, “We’d have to override Athena’s lockdown protocol for Jesse and I’s dorm of course, but everyone else will be safe.”

“Is it wise?” Angela’s voice is heavy with her concern, “It could be likely that Jesse will not recognize where he is either, not just people. He could feel like he is in danger. Your dorm may be an area he’s already deemed as safe. It’s impossible to know his state of mind while he is like this.”

“I am aware.” Hanzo admits, “But it is a risk I’m willing to take. This is also about Jesse’s safety as much as my own. We need to get to the bottom of what has happened to him.”

There is a pregnant pause as Angela is thinking things over on the other end of the call. Jesse hasn’t taken his eyes off of Hanzo the entire time, to the point where it’s starting to unnerve even Hanzo. Finally, Angela speaks once more. 

“Alright.” Angela says softly, but then more determinedly, “I will get Athena to override her lockdown on your dorm. I’ll leave out the sedative next to the examination table and barricade myself in my office until you need me.”

“It is the best plan we have.” Hanzo confirms, “Thank you, Angela. I will hopefully see you shortly.”

“Yes. Be safe, Hanzo. Best of luck.” Angela hangs up and Hanzo is left staring at the wolf his boyfriend has become.

“I suppose you heard that?” Hanzo asks Jesse.

“Yeah.” Jesse growls out, his ears flicked back again, “Don’t like it.”

“I know, but we’ve no other choice.” Hanzo reaches to cup both sides of Jesse’s muzzle, smoothing the fur with his thumbs. 

Jesse growls softly this time, and stands to his full height, pulling from Hanzo’s touch, “Safe in here, this is our den.”

“Our den?” Hanzo thinks for a second. He studies Jesse closely. “Yes. Our den. Where do you think our den is, Jesse?”

Jesse stops moving entirely and fixes Hanzo with that golden stare, “I…” Jesse sniffs the air, “…by the sea.”

“But you don’t know where by the sea,” Hanzo states, “do you?”

Jesse shakes his massive head, a snarl rising in his throat that’s sudden enough to startle Hanzo into moving back from Jesse. Immediately Jesse’s ears flick back and his tail is tucked once more between his legs, and he lowers himself to the floor to make himself smaller than Hanzo. All of it is accompanied by a high whine and a low, sorrowful baying.

“Gone and went and scared my mate.” Jesse laments. “Forgive me?”

“Of course.” Hanzo soothes, moving to kneel before Jesse. “But that is exactly why we need to go to the med bay. I’m not exactly sure how much of you actually  _ is _ Jesse.”

Jesse cocks his head to the side, clearly confused. Jesse presses closer to Hanzo and nuzzles him with a sad whine. Hanzo wraps his arms around Jesse and pets through his fur. On cue, the locks slide open audibly, and Jesse tenses under Hanzo’s hold. He settles after a few more moments of Hanzo passing his hands through his fur.

“We need to go.” Hanzo sits back and looks Jesse over, fixing his boyfriend with a stern gaze.

“It ain’t dangerous out there?” Jesse asks, nose twitching as he shuffles uneasily. “We’re safe?”

“I would not have suggested it if were not.” Hanzo lowers his voice in hopes to help soothe Jesse. “I would never allow anything to happen to you.”

Jesse’s tail slowly begins to wag but he is still clearly reluctant. Hanzo stands and goes to the door and opens it before turning back to Jesse, expectant but patient. Jesse rises to his full height once more and walks to Hanzo’s side after a few moments. Jesse growls low and butts his massive head against Hanzo’s shoulder. 

“Let's go.” 

Hanzo steps out of his and Jesse’s dorm and Jesse follows, his claws clicking on the floor. The corridor is eerily quiet save for that sound. Jesse for his part keeps close to Hanzo, his ears perking and swiveling in every direction. When they come up to occupied dorms, Jesse wanders over and sniffs curiously at the doors before returning to Hanzo’s side. 

Soon they’re crossing over from the residential area of the base into the medical wing, and Hanzo looks to Jesse to see how he’s doing. Jesse, for his part, seems calmer then Hanzo would have thought he would be. It could be because Jesse has not strayed more than a foot from Hanzo’s side. 

The doors to the examination room proper are open when Hanzo rounds the corner, and Angela is nowhere to be seen inside. Good. Hanzo steps through the double doors. Jesse hesitates outside of threshold, growling low and baring his teeth. 

“It’s alright.” Hanzo coaxes, “Remember the plan?”

“Still think it’s dangerous,” Jesse growls out, but he steps into the room.

As soon as Jesse is passed the doors they slam shut, and Athena announces the room on lockdown as well. The locks click shut audibly and Jesse rounds on the doors with a snarl. Jesse’s about to throw himself at them before there’s a pair of hands tugging at the scruff at the back of his neck. It doesn’t do much to stop a seven-foot wolfman, and Jesse bodily slams into the doors.

“Jesse. It’s okay.” Hanzo works to soothe Jesse’s agitation, “It’s okay.”

“Trapped.” Jesse bays mournfully at the locked doors. He digs the claws of his remaining hand into the doors and scratches downward. 

Hanzo covers his ears at the shriek of metal and his stomach does a flip when he realizes Jesse has indeed scratched gouges into the door. Still, he moves to Jesse’s side and reaches for Jesse’s huge hand. Jesse snarls when Hanzo takes his hand but quiets when he notices that it is Hanzo.

“We’re safe. It’s okay.” Hanzo repeats, giving Jesse’s big paw a reassuring squeeze. 

Jesse only whines and twines his large fluffy fingers with Hanzo’s, ears flicked back again and tail tucked between his legs. Hanzo reaches with his free hand to cup Jesse’s muzzle, rubbing Jesse’s cheek with his thumb.

“My mate will keep me safe.” Jesse moves to nuzzle under Hanzo’s chin affectionately. “Sorry for doubting you.”

“I don’t blame you. I would be uneasy too.” Hanzo pulls Jesse into an embrace best he can, and pets a hand down Jesse’s back, “I will never let anything happen to you.”

“Got my back, yeah?” Jesse asks, his tail slowly beginning to wag.

“Always.” Hanzo gives Jesse what he hopes is a reassuring smile, despite his own unease. 

It is much easier to coax Jesse further into the examination room after that, and Hanzo motions for Jesse to hop onto the examination table. Jesse does so with a grumble, but he curls up best he can. Hanzo gives Jesse a reassuring pat before he looks for the sedative Angela left out for him.

Hanzo calls her once he finds it.   
  
There’s a ringing elsewhere that causes Jesse to lift his head and look for the sound, snarling softly in the direction where it's coming from. Hanzo just hushes him as Angela audibly picks up.  
  
“You made it?” She asks.  
  
“Yes.” Hanzo takes the sedative in hand and approaches Jesse. “I’m about to sedate him.” He gives Jesse a reassuring pat on his shoulder. “How long should I wait for it to take effect?” 

“A few minutes. Just notify me when Jesse fully relaxes or goes to sleep. I’m not entirely sure how it will affect him as he is. Or for how long.” 

Hanzo just sighs and takes a tentative step towards Jesse, who gives a low growl but otherwise remains still. Angela instructs Hanzo through the prep of administering the needle. Hanzo soothes a hand through the fur on Jesse’s arm before he slowly sticks Jesse with it and talks to him through the entire process. Jesse only once growls, but otherwise stays still. 

Slowly Jesse calms, to the point where his eyes droop and he looks up at Hanzo with an almost dopey wolf grin. Hanzo just rubs both of Jesse’s ears between his fingers and lets Angela know Jesse’s sedated. She appears at Hanzo’s side after taking down the makeshift barricade in her office. 

“My word.” Angela titters as she hovers around the huge form taking up her examination table, “I could tell he was massive from your photo but this is…” She waves her hands uselessly towards Jesse. 

“I know.” Hanzo keeps soothingly petting the sides of Jesse’s face and rubbing his ears. Jesse’s let his tongue loll out of his mouth and has closed his eyes at the attention. “I would like to get to the bottom of this sooner than later.” 

“Right,” Angela says, finding and snapping on a pair of latex gloves. “Keep talking to him, I will try to work as quickly as I can.” 

Hanzo does as Angela asks and talks lowly to Jesse in Japanese, and even the limited Spanish Jesse has taught him. Angela flutters about, doing standard the tests she can while Jesse is content to lie on the examination table. Hanzo has to give up his spot near Jesse’s head so Angela can shine a light in Jesse’s eyes, which earns her a snarl that makes her jump back. 

“He doesn’t seem to like bright light in his eyes,” Hanzo tells her when she lets him move back into his previous position at Jesse’s head, smoothing a hand over the top of Jesse’s muzzle to rub between his eyes.

Angela just nods numbly, “Noted.”

Angela moves on in her checkup, and Hanzo keeps tabs on how Jesse is doing. A rub of Jesse’s muzzle earns Hanzo a slow lick to his wrist and a low rumble from Jesse, and Angela stifles a giggle when she notices Jesse’s tail slowly start to wag.

“I’m going to take a blood sample.” Angela says eventually, after checking all of Jesse’s other vitals, “He seems like he’s doing fine, aside from…” Angela motions to the wolfman currently laying on her examination table. “Hopefully a blood test will shed more light on what is going on.”

“Hopefully,” Hanzo repeats. 

Angela has to cut away some of Jesse’s fur to get at a patch of skin to prep to draw blood. Jesse growls through the process, and Hanzo coos to him to try to calm him. Angela sticks Jesse with the needle and begins to draw Jesse’s blood, and Jesse snarls louder.

“Jesse. It is alright.” Hanzo tries to say, but Jesse’s hackles are rising and his fur is standing on end.

Angela withdraws the needle and pops the vial of Jesse’s blood into the stand. Jesse turns his big head to her and snarls. Hanzo and Angela both go pale, and Angela takes a few cautionary steps from Jesse. Hanzo tries to grab hold of Jesse’s thick fur around his neck, but Jesse still moves like Hanzo weighs nothing, rising onto all threes on top of the examination table. Hanzo is not a short man, but he’s starting to have to go up on his tiptoes to try to maintain his hold on Jesse.

“Angela,” Hanzo warns, clinging best he can to Jesse’s ruff. “I think you should find somewhere safe.”

Angela just nods numbly, eying Jesse’s long fangs while still backing up slowly from Jesse before she turns on her heel and tries to make it into her office. Unfortunately, Jesse is fast and strong, and Hanzo’s grip falters as Jesse launches himself at Angela. Hanzo crashes into the examination table and then ass over tea kettle over it from the momentum of it. 

Jesse lands right between Angela and the door to her office, snarling and advancing on her. Angela just looks to Jesse, then back to Hanzo who is picking himself off of the floor. 

“Hanzo!” She calls, inching towards the corridor of the medical wing, “The panic room!”

Angela then kicks off her heels and bolts out the door. Jesse snarls and gives chase, right passed Hanzo and the table that currently supports the case with the vial of Jesse’s blood inside it. Hanzo manages to catch it all to right it and sets the table back on its wheels, just as Jesse disappears out of the examination room doors.

“Mother of Fuck.” Hanzo curses up a blue storm before he too gives chase. 

At least Hanzo knows where they’re going. The medical wing in the watchpoint is equipped with a reinforced panic room to house the injured in case the base is ever under attack. Hanzo supposes Angela is right that it will work just as well to catch a rampaging wolfman. Hanzo just hopes Angela can run faster then Jesse can. 

Hanzo at least isn’t far behind them both, turning a corner to see Jesse himself slide bodily into a wall as he clearly tried to take a corner too quick. Before Hanzo can reach Jesse though, he is already rising to his feet and continues his pursuit of Angela. Hanzo simply pushes himself harder to catch up, though his intuition says that he’s a fool that needs to be running in the opposite direction.

Up ahead Angela is speaking as calmly and clearly as she can to Athena on her comm while running for her life. Jesse’s not far behind her, and Angela turns a sharp right that has Jesse careening into another wall when he can’t break fast enough. This time the impact is enough to knock Jesse off of his feet and he roars after Angela’s retreating back. Jesse’s just about to get back up when Hanzo himself slams into him. 

“Jesse! That is enough!” Hanzo scolds.

Angela up ahead has moved a panel aside on the wall and flips a handle down. Athena had already put the passcode in for her. A hidden door slides open and Angela slips through the door to the other side of the revealed room to work another panel loose. It is enough time for Jesse to wiggle out from Hanzo’s hold, still intent on the chase. Hanzo scrambles to his feet after him. 

Angela just managed to open the door on the opposite side of the room, just in time to turn and see Jesse barrelling towards her again. She’s out the door in seconds, Athena slamming it shut behind her just as Jesse crashes into it. Hanzo has followed Jesse into the room, relieved to see that Angela has gotten away at the very least. 

There’s still the problem of Jesse himself, who has turned from the door he’s been throwing himself against. Hanzo notices where Jesse’s golden gaze is fixated, on the still open door behind Hanzo. Immediately Hanzo whips around to try to figure out how to get the door shut again. There’s a similar panel to the one Angela was fiddling with on the outside, and Hanzo immediately dives for the switch while Jesse rushes for the door.

Again, the door slams closed on Jesse, and this time he lets out a frustrated howl. Hanzo only slumps against the wall, eying the huge form of Jesse as he paces the space in front of the door.

“Trapped.” Jesse keens in a mix of sorrow and anger. “Trapped!”

Jesse rounds from the door and finally notices Hanzo. Both man and wolfman stare each other down, Hanzo armed with a glare that could freeze a talon agent faster than Mei’s endothermic blaster. It seems to get the point across, as Jesse soon lowers himself down onto his belly, ears flicked back and whining softly. 

“Good that you know you are in trouble.” Hanzo voices, rubbing his temple. 

Jesse slowly crawls closer to Hanzo until he is stopped a foot away by another glare. 

“My mate is mad at me.” Jesse voices in that strange rumble.

“I’m livid,” Hanzo replies. He lets his head fall back against the wall with a sigh before he turns his head to look at Jesse, “You tried to eat Angela.” 

“She made me bleed!” Jesse snarls. “With a needle. I don’t much like needles!” 

“So you threw a temper tantrum and tried to eat her?” Hanzo scoffs, “She’s our teammate. You can’t go around and act like that over every slight, Jesse.” 

If he wasn’t one hundred percent done with everything, Hanzo would probably be slightly concerned that he’s currently arguing with his boyfriend who until only recently wasn’t a wolfman. Hanzo just closes his eyes and takes a few calming breaths, like Zenyatta had instructed him. There’s a nudge on his thigh from a wet nose that makes him open them once more, to find Jesse looking up at him with those big gold eyes and his nose pressed to Hanzo’s thigh. The longer they remain in eye contact, the more Jesse’s tail slowly starts to wag. Hanzo sighs.

“Come on, then,” Hanzo says, and it is the permission Jesse needs to shuffle closer and rest his head in Hanzo’s lap. 

“‘Msorry I tried ta eat her,” Jesse says after a long silence. “I dunno what came over me. Hope I didn’t scare ya, or her, too bad.”

“It is something we will have to watch for and consider in the future.” Hanzo rubs Jesse’s ears again. “Do you know what set you off?”

“I didn’t like the needle or the fact she made me bleed.” Jesse echoes his point from before, “But I was also worried she woulda make you bleed somehow too.”

“I’m flattered you are willing to protect me but you are forgetting one key thing, Jess.” Hanzo cups Jesse’s face and smushes his cheeks together and Jesse lifts his head to look at Hanzo questioningly, his nose twitching in a way that is admittedly adorable. Still, Hanzo only stares Jesse down, “I can take care of myself. If Angela had done anything untoward then I would have taken care of it.”

“Right.” Jesse presses closer to butt his head against Hanzo’s chest. “Sorry. Just wanted to have your back. Like I promised.”

Hanzo just sighs and wraps his arms around Jesse. Jesse rises to move into Hanzo’s space for a proper hug, pulling Hanzo closer with his one arm. 

“I know.” Hanzo says softly, “I know. But there are limits to even that. I do not need to be protected from our teammates.” 

“Okay.” Jesse nuzzles Hanzo and tugs him closer. “I jus’ love you, is all.”

“I know.”

Hanzo just lets himself relax into Jesse’s hold, the excitement of the night finally catching up to him. He can't help but yawn and nuzzle more into Jesse’s soft, warm fur. Hanzo misses the blankets of his and Jesse’s bed, but he supposes his now fluffy boyfriend will do.

Jesse seems to catch on and holds Hanzo tighter to himself before he flops unceremoniously to the side. Hanzo grumbles a little bit but lets himself be coaxed into being the little spoon against Jesse’s massive body. Hanzo has to dig his phone out of his pocket to be relatively comfortable and finds the screen blinking with a text from Angela.

Hanzo at least replies to tell her he’s fine, and for her to come check on them in the morning. He adds that he hopes Jesse hadn’t frightened her too much, to which she replies she’s seen worse. Hanzo is asleep before he can ponder what she could have possibly seen that could be worse than a massive wolf creature coming at you.

Jesse just gently adjusts Hanzo in hopes to make him more comfortable before he too slowly drifts off.


	7. The Morning After

Spending the night huddled together on the floor of the reinforced room in the clinic probably wasn’t the best for either of their backs in hindsight. Hanzo is the first to wake, his head cradled against Jesse’s chest. He’s thankful to notice that Jesse isn’t a wolf anymore at least, but his cowboy is nude save for the scraps of what was once Jesse’s clothes. Jesse only wakes when Hanzo moves away from him to find Jesse a hospital gown for modesty’s sake.

“…Darlin’?” Jesse just looks blearily around the space, at the white walls of the reinforced room, and then to Hanzo himself, “What…Wait, did… did last night actually  _ happen? _ ”

Hanzo’s returned with the hospital gown he sought, helping Jesse into it when he returns to his lover, “Yes. Do you not remember?”

“I…” Jesse looks down at himself, and back up at Hanzo, “It’s all murky like I was underwater. It’s all in bits and pieces. Some o’ them real hazy while others ain’t.” He jolts up suddenly, looking Hanzo over, “Did I hurt you?!”

“Not a single scratch.” Hanzo gently ties the hospital gown closed along Jesse’s back before gently rubbing Jesse’s shoulder reassuringly. 

Jesse whines in his throat and pulls Hanzo into a big hug. Hanzo wraps his arms around Jesse immediately, sensing his lover’s need for comfort. Jesse’s hug is nearly bone crushing, but Hanzo doesn’t mind. It kinda feels nice for his back, actually. Jesse’s buried his face in Hanzo’s neck, and Hanzo has his hand gently carding through his lover’s hair soothingly when there’s a light knock on the door.

It takes some convincing for Jesse to let Hanzo go so they can go speak with Angela. The doctor is waiting on the other side of the door, the electric locks clicking open when it’s confirmed Jesse is back to his old self. 

“Glad to see the transformation was not permanent,” Angela says by way of greeting when she steps into the room, looking tired and still slightly frazzled by the events of the previous night.

“I think we’re all very thankful for that,” Hanzo admits, rubbing Jesse’s arm.

Jesse just looks tiredly sheepish, “Hey, Angie. Sorry about… last night.”

“It’s alright, Jesse.” Angela leads them through the halls and into her office and closes the door behind them, motioning for them to take a seat, “I don’t think you necessarily could control that transformation. You might not be able to control any transformation of that nature, at least until we test it further.”

Jesse shuffles uncomfortably before taking a seat and Hanzo follows suit, sitting close to Jesse and taking his hand in his. Hanzo’s touch is a much-needed grounding force for Jesse at the moment. Jesse’s still processing everything, so Hanzo looks pointedly at Angela for her to begin.

The doctor just takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair before she starts, “Well, I’ll start with this.” She pulls up a little holoscreen with two blotchy images side by side, “The left is the blood samples we lifted from the creature that attacked you and Jesse in the Black Forest. The right,” Angela uses her fingers to zoom in on the images, “is the sample of Jesse’s blood taken last night.”

She pulls a pen from behind her ear and uses it to circle strange blobs amidst the white and red blood cells on both of the images, “As you can see, there is a similar anomaly in the blood from both samples, leading me to believe that the creature possibly  _ passed _ this onto you.”

“So I got some crazy rabies or somethin’?” Jesse deadpans, and Hanzo rubs his arm to soothe him.

“Well.” Angela lets the holoscreens drop and steeples her fingers, tapping them together, “This is going to sound crazy, and it sounds crazy to me especially since I’m the one that technically has to  _ diagnose  _ you with this.” Angela takes a deep breath, screws her eyes shut and brings up her fingers to rub her temples tiredly, “With the evidence, what Hanzo has observed, the…  _ lunar cycle _ of all things.” Angela opens her eyes again and looks like she’s given up for the day, “Jesse, for lack of better scientific understanding, you have  _ lycanthropy _ .”

Both men are silent as they process. Naturally, it’s Jesse that breaks the silence with a literal bark of  _ “What?!” _

“You’re a werewolf,” Angela says tiredly.

Jesse just looks at Angela, and then looks at Hanzo right next to him. Jesse scruffs his chin, thinking it over in his head. The wolf creature in the Black Forest’s bite, the aggression and caged feeling he’d experienced from the past few days. How much he’s suddenly been growling and constantly having to file his nails down. How obsessed he’s been with everything Hanzo, and lastly the fact that last night had been a full moon.

Well, Fuck.

“Aw hell.” Jesse voices, he slumps forwards and puts his face in his hands, and Hanzo rubs his back soothingly. He lifts his head to look at Hanzo so incredulously, “How are you still so calm about this? This ain’t normal.”

“I’ve had since last night to get used to this.” Hanzo points out, “Besides.” Hanzo looks Jesse straight in the eyes with a raised eyebrow, “Anata, my bloodline allows me to summon dragons. You never even questioned it before.”

“Well, what ya do with your dragons is cool.” Jesse points out, “I’m… Imma  _ wolfman  _ outta a goddamn movie.”

“Should I leave and give you two some time to process?” Angela interrupts, looking between them, “We will have to debrief the rest of the team members as to why I put everyone on medical lockdown, but that can come as soon as you’ve come to terms with what’s happened.”

“Yeah, yeah that’d be swell, Angie.” Jesse’s answer is muffled from where he’s got his face in his hands.

“I’m only a call away if you need me.” Angela gives one more nod to them both before letting them borrow her office for some privacy.

Hanzo just lets Jesse think things over, his hand constantly in motion on his boyfriends back in what he hopes is helping to soothe. Jesse eventually moves to sit up, looking over at Hanzo helplessly.

“Han, God.” Jesse rubs at his eyes, “I’m sorry. This is fucked up six ways to Sunday.”

“I’m aware,” Hanzo replies simply.

Jesse huffs a laugh at that, before quieting once more. His eyes are distant, but Hanzo knows not to press Jesse. He’d spent long enough breaking down Jesse’s walls when they had first met to know that Jesse will eventually come to him with what is on his mind. It's only because they’ve been so long and Hanzo has earned Jesse’s trust that it does not take long these days. Ten minutes at most passes before Jesse speaks once more.

“You don’t owe me nothin’, Sugar.” Jesse looks over to Hanzo pointedly, “This is too much ta ask of anyone. Even you an’ your dragons.”

“A shame then that I never really knew when to back down from a challenge,” Hanzo replies immediately, taking Jesse’s hand in his. Hanzo softens a second later, rubbing the back of Jesse’s hand with his thumb, “You will not be rid of me so easily. I will see myself at your side, Jesse, this is just another obstacle in our path we must overcome together.”

“But what if I hurt ya?” 

“You had every opportunity last night.” Hanzo points out once more, “But you did not. Not even when I approached you with the sedative.”

“Yeah, sure, but didn’t I lunge at Angie?” Jesse furrows his brows to concentrate on the hazy memories.

“You’d also woken up on a table being poked and prodded. You were frightened.” Hanzo thinks for a moment, “I’m not entirely sure the state of mind of the wolf, but he seems to harbour some memories and recollections from your human side. You knew who I was, right from the start. You remembered the events in the Black Forest.”

“Then why didn’t I know Angie? Why the hell didn’t I know where we are?”

“I don’t know, but we can work that out together.” Hanzo gives Jesse’s hand a comforting squeeze. “I won’t let you slink around the base and hide away.”

“An’ what if I’m too dangerous ta be around the team?” Jesse’s grip tightens where his and Hanzo’s fingers are twined, “I can’t ask ya ta leave with me, not when you’ve been workin’ so hard ta mend things with Genji. I can’t put ya in danger. There are people out for my bounty, an’—”

“I would invite them to try to take you from me.” Hanzo interrupts as he levels Jesse with an intense gaze, “They would not succeed. As for Genji, I doubt Winston wouldn’t allow me to visit my brother or the friends we have made here.” 

Hanzo removes his hand from Jesse’s hold, reaching with both now to cup and cradle Jesse’s face. It’s only around a select few, Jesse especially, that Hanzo can flip his emotions on a dime, the archer’s intense expression melting into one far more tender. Jesse leans into Hanzo to press their foreheads together, sighs when Hanzo brushes his lips against Jesse’s briefly and sweetly.

“Stop trying to convince me to turn from you.” Hanzo murmurs against Jesse’s lips, pulling away just far enough to rub his nose against Jesse’s, “It won’t work. I’ll have you as you are, Jesse McCree. If we must learn to live with this… curse, then so be it.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay.” Jesse finally agrees. Jesse wipes his eyes of the wetness he can feel coming on and takes a deep breath to calm his own frayed nerves. “Sorry darlin’, for bein’ all wishy-washy. I know you got my back.”

“Of course.” Hanzo pulls Jesse into an embrace, rubs his poor tired gunslinger’s back comfortingly, “Anytime, always.”

Jesse actually makes a low, happy rumble of a growl in his chest. The sound of it makes Jesse himself tense up, but Hanzo just continues the absentminded rubbing of Jesse’s back. Hanzo will have to return to his and Jesse’s room before long to get Jesse a change of clothing, but for now, he’ll stay here and offer Jesse a place in his arms as long as he requires Hanzo’s comfort.

Angela peers in a moment later to check up on them both, a soft worried smile on her lips. Hanzo gives her a nod from over Jesse’s head, Jesse having tucked himself as close to Hanzo as he could get. 

“How is he?” She asks, slipping into the office to take a seat in her chair once more. 

“Tired. Processing.” Jesse answers for himself, lifting his head from Hanzo’s shoulder. “I think I need more rest then the cat nap I got after last night.”

Angela nods in understanding, turning to Hanzo, “I can watch over him while you go retrieve him clothing from your room if you wish?”

Hanzo merely nods and removes himself from Jesse’s embrace. Jesse lets him go almost reluctantly, giving Hanzo’s hand a squeeze before the archer leaves for their room. Hanzo meets nobody in the halls as he heads to his and Jesse’s dorm, and he finds himself thankful for that. Hanzo is not really in the mood for conversation at the moment, and he might take part in Jesse’s plans for more rest. 

When Hanzo does come up to their dorm and steps inside, he finds himself in the middle of the mess from last night’s happenings. The end table is still overturned, most of the contents spilled out from the ajar drawer. There are gouges in the floor, right where Jesse transformed last night, now that Hanzo is looking and not distracted by a seven-foot tall werewolf. Jesse must have clawed the tiles sometime during the change. Hanzo makes a mental note to get a rug to cover it up as he sets about cleaning up the end table and getting some semblance of order back. Cleaning up the mess might help Jesse relax once they’re both back in their room.

When all the furniture is back in order, Hanzo digs through Jesse’s side of the dresser drawers for clothing. There’s a sun-faded, pink plaid shirt that has a hastily done patch job over the left breast. Jesse had told him a story, a long time ago, of how he had gotten shot wearing this shirt. The bullet had very nearly pierced his heart and killed him. Jesse calls it his lucky flannel. Hanzo folds it up and tosses it over his arm as he digs for underwear and jeans before he takes the clothes back to Jesse. 

Angela lets Hanzo back into her office and slips out with a nod. Jesse looks about ready to keel over, grumbling when Hanzo gently prods at him where he lays on the examination bed. He blinks up at Hanzo blearily and accepts the bundle of clothing Hanzo hands to him.

“Heh.” Jesse chuffs a tired, fond laugh, pulling the pink plaid from the pile in his hands. “Lucky flannel.”

“Lucky flannel,” Hanzo responds softly, pressing a kiss to Jesse’s forehead.

Hanzo urges Jesse into sitting up and helps him remove the hospital gown. Jesse casts a weary, bone tired look to Hanzo and the archer searches his face before he nods wordlessly. Gently, Hanzo helps Jesse dress, and Jesse pulls him close once he’s fully clothed.

“Thanks for babying me, Darlin’,” Jesse mutters into Hanzo’s chest.

“It is my pleasure,” Hanzo replies, carding fingers through Jesse’s hair gently. If their situations were reversed, Hanzo knows without a doubt Jesse would do the same for him. “Last night was not an easy night.”

“No kiddin’.” Jesse nuzzles Hanzo’s chest before he pulls away and rises to his feet, “I’m dog tired. An’ starvin’, but mostly tired.”

“I could grab something from the kitchen for you once I have you settled back into our room.” Hanzo offers as he and Jesse start to make their way back to the residential area of the base.

“That’d be real swell, Sug.” Jesse leans slightly into Hanzo as they make their way back to their room. “You’re an angel.”

“Far from such a thing.” Hanzo admonishes, ushering Jesse inside their dorm. 

“You’re my angel, by my definition.” Jesse lets Hanzo lead him to their bed, where he flops down and makes no move to resist when Hanzo starts to help him undress, “S’all that matters ta me.”

“The last thing you need to do right now is sweet talk me.” Hanzo chastises, giving Jesse a playful swat on the ass. “Rest. You need it. I will bring you something from the kitchen.”

“‘Kay.” Now undressed save for his underwear, Jesse has buried his face into his pillow, his voice muffled. “You’re a goddamn saint.”

“If you insist.” Hanzo pulls the blankets out from under Jesse, effectively rolling his boyfriend over with the force of it. 

Jesse just throws his flesh arm over his eyes and growls low before he settles again when Hanzo tucks him in. Hanzo also gets Jesse a glass of water from their bathroom before he heads out. He’s stopped right as he’s about to leave.

“…Hey Han?”

“Yes, love?”

“What d’ya think the team is gonna do.” Jesse’s voice is hushed, and there is something more than tiredness creeping into it.

Hanzo pauses in the doorway for too long, and the bed creaks as Jesse raise himself up to meet Hanzo’s gaze. Hanzo looks uncertain, as does Jesse. Jesse rubs over the stump of his arm subconsciously, a nervous tick of the gunslinger’s when he’s feeling particularly vulnerable. Hanzo is crossing back over to Jesse and helping him put his prosthetic arm in hopes to give him some peace of mind.

“We will have to cross that bridge as we come to it.” Hanzo finally answers, watching Jesse open and close his metallic hand. Hanzo twines his finger’s with Jesse’s artificial ones. “For now, rest. You’ve had too long of a night.”

Jesse nods and lays back down, pulling the blankets tight around himself. Hanzo gives him a soft kiss before he leaves to get Jesse some food.  When he returns with a sandwich for Jesse, Jesse is already asleep. Hanzo sets the sandwich on the end table and sits on the bed to remove his prosthetics. After which he cuddles into Jesse’s side, smiling when Jesse subconsciously nuzzles close to Hanzo. Hanzo falls asleep shortly afterward.

————————

They hold the debriefing before lunchtime. Everyone has questions, naturally. The entire base was put on lockdown out of nowhere, after all. Winston tries and fails to get everyone to quiet down, which leads to Hana standing on a chair and wolf whistling to get everyone to shut up. 

“The floor is yours, big guy!” she says cheerily as she flops back down into her seat. 

“Ah, yes, well,” Winston adjusts his glasses, “Thank you, Agent Song.”

“No problem!” 

“As you all may know, the base went into lockdown last night.” Winston begins, “The reasons as to why are not known to me as of yet, so I will let Dr. Ziegler take the floor.”

“Thank you, Winston,” Angela says as she takes Winston’s place in front of everyone. She clears her throat and sends a reassuring smile to Jesse and Hanzo where they are seated closest to her before she begins to explain the situation from last night. 

Angela begins by explaining the text she’d received from Hanzo, and her initial disbelief of what Hanzo had told her of Jesse’s situation when she herself showed up to their dorm. As the retelling of last night’s event moves on, Jesse moves closer to Hanzo, and Hanzo holds his hand tightly. The other team members are starting to look over at Jesse, some with obvious concern (Ana, Mei, Winston), others with disbelief (Hana audibly pops her bubble gum and stares at Jesse and Lucio quickly scolds her quietly), others with… excitement (that would be Reinhardt, who is getting duel side eyes from both Torbjorn and Brigitte). Genji and Zenyatta are impassive and Bastion is hard to read in general. 

There is video evidence to show to the team as well, of Jesse in his transformed state, pacing the reinforced room in the clinic. The team is sending looks Hanzo’s way now since he is clearly present in the footage as well. Angela has moved onto explaining best she can why Jesse is suddenly able to turn into a huge hulking wolf. Jesse has just started to zone it all out, itching for one of his cigarillos. Hanzo just soothingly rubs circles onto Jesse’s hand.

Hanzo soon gives Jesse’s hand a squeeze that brings Jesse back to the present. Jesse can’t help but look up passed Angela, to where the video of himself from last night is paused behind her. He looks terrifying. Jesse then looks to Angela herself, unable to feel anything but guilty. Hanzo had finally told him, after they’d woken up, about all that had occurred the previous night. Jesse’ll have to get Angela a gift basket as an apology. 

Jesse looks to the rest of the team and finds he doesn’t know what to say. 

What can he even say?

Jesse looks to Hanzo helplessly, who only squeezes his hand reassuringly and gives him a nod. Jesse returns the squeeze with one of his own and awkwardly clears his throat. He also removes his hat for good measure, setting it down on the table in front of him. 

“I’ll understand if ya’ll feel safer if I left.” Jesse begins. “I pose a risk ta you all and I would never forgive myself if I hurt anyone o’ you.” 

Everyone is silent for a moment before there is a wave of objections. The loudest are Hana and Lucio, who seem convinced that Jesse can get a handle on things. Winston tries again to shush everyone, to no avail. 

It’s actually Mei who quiets everyone with a yell of “Hey! Be quiet!” and everyone turns to her which makes her adjust her glasses self consciously and sit back down with a quiet “Sorry.”

“I think the point is that we don’t want you to feel like you have to leave.” Winston adjusts his own glasses and turns to Jesse. “We lead dangerous lives every day, Agent McCree.”

“If I may add my input.” Zenyatta voices, turning to Jesse, “I do not believe it’s wise to isolate yourself. To my knowledge, wolves are social creatures, hunting in a pack and fiercely loyal to their familial groups. If you take the form of one, would it not be best to nurture that instinct? I’m sure there are people here you deem family, in a sense.”

Jesse only blinks and looks around at the team, “Would ya’ll be alright with me stickin’ around?”

“We would have to put precautions in place for the next full moon,” Winston notes, “but I’m sure we could figure out some sort of accommodation for your transformations.”

Jesse can’t help but nod and tries to keep a straight face. Instead, he picks up his hat once more and places it back on his head to hide his eyes. Hanzo gives Jesse’s hand another squeeze. 

The team chatters a little more, and Jesse answers what questions are directed at him. Otherwise, the meeting adjourns sooner than Jesse would have thought. Hanzo and Jesse head back in the direction of the residential area of the base, but Jesse pulls away from Hanzo before they reach it.

“If ya don’t mind darlin’, I gotta be by myself for a bit,” Jesse says, stepping back and tipping his hat back up. 

Hanzo just nods, though he does step briefly into Jesse’s space to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“You will contact me if you need me.” Hanzo not so much asks as he tells Jesse, fussing with the serape around Jesse’s shoulders. 

“O’ course. Wouldn’t trust no one else ta keep my ass outta trouble.” Jesse huffs but offers Hanzo one of his crooked smiles. “You’re doin’ a lot o’ that lately.”

“I knew what I was getting into the first night you showed up with whiskey and my favourite nikuman at my door.” Hanzo can’t help but give Jesse a smirk of his own at the distant but fond memories. 

“It was worth every second of Genji tormentin’ me in the kitchen when he was teachin’ me ta make those.” Jesse pulls his hat from his head and places it over his heart before cupping Hanzo’s face in his free hand. Jesse runs his thumb over Hanzo’s beard, “Promise I’ll be back in one piece, I just gotta… reflect for a little.”

Hanzo nods again, “I know, I will be here when you return.”

“Thank ya, darlin’.” 

Jesse dips to kiss Hanzo softly before he turns from him to retreat down the corridor, putting his hat back on his head as he goes.


	8. Adjusting

Jesse is scarce on the base for the next few days after the team is debriefed on the situation.

Hanzo understands Jesse needs his space. Jesse’s entire life was just turned upside down, and sometimes there is nothing Hanzo can do except offer Jesse time and let him come to Hanzo on his own. Jesse would offer Hanzo the same courtesy. In the meantime Hanzo researches.

If werewolves are not just fiction, then there must be some truths to be found. Of course, there is a lot of so-called facts to shift through, with some recurrences in the tales of werewolves. Silver seems to be something to avoid, as well as moon rock of all things. Something to do with the moon’s sway over them. Hanzo makes note of that, but is not keen on testing such things on Jesse, especially if they do happen to cause harm to him. Hanzo also ponders if Jesse will have to avoid chocolate now, considering the inherited canid traits. He tries to recall if Jesse had eaten any in the past month prior to his full transformation. 

Hanzo is sure it won’t be a huge loss, he knows Jesse is more fond of gummy worms and other candies of that ilk. 

Hanzo makes a mental note to pick some up next time he is on the grocery run. Jesse deserves a little bit of cheering up. Perhaps Hanzo can find a good bottle of bourbon for Jesse too.

Hanzo’s in the middle of looking up if any of the closest towns carry a specific brand Jesse is particularly fond of when Jesse himself steps through the door. Hanzo immediately rises from his seat to greet him but goes from delighted to see his lover to concerned in seconds. Jesse looks ashen and spooked, and before Hanzo can ask anything Jesse thrusts a closed fist towards Hanzo and opens it. 

In Jesse’s gloved palm is a single bullet. Hanzo knows what it is, and his stomach churns. He steps up and snatches it from Jesse’s hand. 

“Why?” Hanzo spits out, furious and scared, “Why do you have this?”

Jesse shuffles uncomfortably, “Got drinkin’, and y’know where my head goes when I ain’t drunk enough ta pass out.” Jesse keeps his head low so his hat covers his eyes, “Got ta thinkin’ ‘bout the wolf in the Black Forest, an’ what Zen said. I don’t think the one who turned me had anyone. Otherwise there woulda been others. Other wolves. Its pack. Sweetheart, there weren’t any pack with it. Which means… which means I think it was tryin’ ta make one. That or it had gone so mad from bein’ lonely it lost itself.”

Jesse lifts his head finally and all of Hanzo’s ire melts away at the raw vulnerability on Jesse’s face, “Don’t let me become that, Han. Don’t let me. Promise me you’ll end me if I ever start actin’ like that.”

“Jesse…” Hanzo starts, curling his hand around the bullet in his palm.

“You gotta.” Jesse takes Hanzo’s free hand and steps closer. “Please. It hasta be you. I would tear anyone else ta shreds. I only trust you. Both… both sides o’ me do.”

Hanzo swallows down a lump in his throat but nods numbly, “You have my word. I will do right by your trust.”

It breaks Hanzo’s heart that Jesse looks so relieved. Hanzo reaches for Jesse and pulls him close, keeping the bullet as far from Jesse as he can.

“But I have a clause of my own,” Hanzo wraps Jesse tight in a one-armed embrace, “and that is that I will do everything I can to bring you back to me first. I do not want to lose you if I could have done something to save you.”

“Darlin’—“

“Do not “Darlin’” me after you say such things.” Hanzo scolds, “Are we in agreement or not?”

Jesse nods after a moment and wraps his arms around Hanzo, pulling Hanzo tight to his chest. Hanzo still keeps his hand holding the bullet far from Jesse, but he otherwise cuddles against Jesse. They stand like that for a few moments, and Jesse starts to gently sway them both. 

“We got a deal, Baby,” Jesse answers softly after a few moments more of silence, presses a kiss to Hanzo’s head afterward.

Hanzo moves from Jesse’s hold eventually, moving his free hand to cup Jesse’s face. Without the silver so close to his person, Jesse’s ashen complexion from earlier is returning to normal. Hanzo gives Jesse a quick kiss. 

“You should go eat, you look like you need some food.” Hanzo suggests, “Did you eat?”

“Not since last night.” Jesse admits, looking sheepish, “Come ta think o’ it, I didn’t have much of an appetite for anythin’ after I got that made.” Jesse motions to Hanzo’s hand that is still clutching the bullet.

“You had it made.” Hanzo blinks at Jesse then shakes his head, “Of course you did.” Hanzo thinks for a second and peers at Jesse, “What did you steal to even smelt down into a bullet?”

“Thought we agreed a long time ago you were better off not knowin’ how I get anythin’.” Jesse winks.

Hanzo can’t help a fond sigh before he nods slowly, “Right.” He pats Jesse on the cheek, “Go eat.” 

“Got it.” Jesse dips to kiss Hanzo softly, “Do ya want me ta bring ya something from the kitchen?”

“No, but thank you for the offer.” Hanzo playfully shoves Jesse away, earning him a little growl from his boyfriend, “Now  _ go _ before I make you go.” 

“I’m goin’.” Jesse finally turns from Hanzo to head out the door, “I’ll see ya at the shootin’ range for our practice?”

“I would not miss it for the world.” Hanzo gives Jesse a smile as his cowboy ducks out the door with a tip of his hat. 

As soon as Jesse is out the door Hanzo’s smile fades and he looks at the bullet in his palm. Quickly he strides over to his battle gear and shoves it inside one of the pouches.

Hopefully, it will never see the light of day.

Once the bullet is out of sight Hanzo goes back to sit on his and Jesse’s bed. He looks around the room they share, the pieces of both himself and Jesse that are intermingled in wonderful disharmony. Hanzo will not lose this, Jesse will not lose himself, not if there is anything Hanzo can do. 

So Hanzo starts to plan, but he’ll need a little bit of help.

— — — — — — — —

“Is this a good idea, Darlin’?” Jesse shuffles from foot to foot in the middle of the training range, “I know I’ve been a little aggressive lately because o’ the whole wolf thing.”

“That is why I’ve assembled a practice team that will not care if you get growly with them.” Hanzo checks over storm bow before the practice run begins. “Besides, we cannot skip out on training. Perhaps it will help you work off the aggression.” 

Genji is currently sitting on top of a crate that acts as makeshift cover for the simulation they’ve been setting up for the last half hour. He gives Jesse a cheerful wave.

“If you really act like a wolf and not only look like one on the full moon, that makes me part of your pack by extension,” Genji says cheerfully.

“On what grounds?” Jesse asks, crossing his arms and giving Genji a playful glare, “I didn’t say ya could join up.” He can’t help himself from sounding a little pleased.

“Yeah, but Hanzo is part of your pack, and  _ I’m _ Hanzo’s brother.” Genji points out. “We’re pack mates. It also means Zenyatta is part of it too, by relation to me.”

“Genji’s logic is sound.” Zenyatta cheerily adds.

“Fine, y’all can join my pack, I guess.” Jesse waves them off dismissively, but he’s grinning at the antics of his friends.

Hanzo smiles in secret as he readjusts the string on storm bow. He’s thankful Jesse has cheered up a little. 

“Are we ready to start the simulation?” Genji asks.

“I believe Reinhardt had desired to join us,” Zenyatta replies. “I believe he wished to test his crusader armour out after the repairs and upgrades Brigitte just finished.”

On cue, there is the telltale clanking of Reinhardt’s crusader armour. Before long the large German man is heading towards them, fully armoured. Beside Hanzo, Jesse tenses, and Hanzo doesn’t think too much of it until Jesse growls low. The alarm bells are already going off but before Hanzo can act, Jesse is pushing passed him. 

“Jesse?” Hanzo reaches for Jesse’s arm, but Jesse shakes off his hold and takes a defensive stance between Hanzo and Reinhardt. 

There’s a louder, lower, rumbling snarl coming from Jesse. Both Genji and Zenyatta have turned to look at Jesse, Genji more alarmed then Zenyatta who only tilts his head to consider Jesse. Jesse growls louder when Reinhardt comes unknowingly closer. 

“Jesse, you look a little tense,” Reinhardt observes when he’s finally closer to the group, towering over them all. “Is there a problem, my friend?”

Reinhardt only gets a snarl as a reply, Jesse baring fangs and his eyes have gone gold. Hanzo gives a tug on the back of Jesse’s t-shirt to try to reign him in. Jesse only ignores him and stares Reinhardt down.

“Ah, I see.” Reinhardt states, “The wolf wants to come out to play?” 

“Is it wise to antagonize him, Reinhardt?” Genji questions. 

“No. It’s not.” Hanzo answers tersely, trying to tug Jesse somewhere where he can hopefully calm him, but Jesse refuses to budge. Hanzo then turns his ire on Reinhardt, “Cease your foolish behaviour at once.” 

“I’m not doing anything I wouldn’t normally do!” Reinhardt replies. Hanzo has a feeling that Reinhardt might be a little too into the idea of fighting a werewolf, “It’s not  _ my  _ fault the  _ puppy  _ wants to wrestle.”

That does it.

There’s an explosion of fabric as Jesse fully shifts, only this time without the agony of the first shift he had undergone.  Genji and Zenyatta at least have the sense to step back from the snarling form of Jesse. Hanzo is not entirely sure how he’s going to deal with this and Reinhardt just laughs with manic joy. 

“Come on then!” Reinhardt throws his hammer down and motions at the Jesse turned werewolf before him, “Face me!”

Jesse doesn’t need to be told twice, lunging for Reinhardt with a howl. The older gentleman intercepts the werewolf easily, laughing as the two lock in place, pushing against one another. Reinhardt skids a little across the floor as Jesse gains the upper hand. Genji just looks at Hanzo with what Hanzo assumes is disbelief, since his brother’s visor is still in place. Zenyatta just calmly floats there and observes. 

Reinhardt and Jesse pay the others no mind, locked in combat as they are. Reinhardt manages to toss Jesse away, and Jesse bounces right back to try to leap at Reinhardt once more. Hanzo just runs around the two of them anxiously, looking for a way to intercede. 

“Jesse!” Hanzo calls, “It’s  _ Reinhardt! _ , you know him, don’t you?”

Jesse stops mid-attempt to climb Reinhardt to look at Hanzo, ears perked in his direction. Jesse then turns to the armoured man he’s attempting to clamber up in order to get the upper hand. Reinhardt is nonplussed and lets the werewolf Jesse do as he pleases, which at the moment is sniffing curiously at Reinhardt now. 

There’s a low rumbled growl Jesse makes before his tail starts to wag slowly.

“Rein!” Jesse says in that strange growl of a voice. “Sorry.”

“Eh, don’t mention it, my friend!.” Reinhardt lightly shoves Jesse off of him and Jesse goes willingly, settling down on all threes, “At least now I can say I wrestled a werewolf.” 

“Not many can say that.” Jesse agrees.

Hanzo wanders over and looks between them, “Everything is good now?” 

Jesse moves to Hanzo and rubs up against him response before rising to his full height and pulling Hanzo into a hug. Hanzo just sighs and rubs his hands through Jesse’s fur before he pulls away.

“What happened?” Hanzo asks, “Why did you turn?”

“Reinhardt cuts an imposin’ figure.” Jesse growls out, “Forgot who he was I guess an’ jus’ wanted ta protect ya, Darlin’.”

“Okay,” Hanzo replies. “Now, how do you turn  _ back? _ ”

Jesse tilts his head from side to side for a second and then promptly sits back down.

“No idea,” Jesse tells Hanzo. “Didn’t even know I didn’t need the moon ’til jus’ now, Darlin’. I dunno how this works.”

“It seemed like he turned in response to Reinhardt’s presence.” Genji says as he walks up with Zenyatta trailing behind him, “Jesse might have perceived him as a threat, and became the wolf accordingly.”

“So, could it be possible that Jesse might be able to control his shifts?” Reinhardt asks, no longer boisterous now that the topic at hand is a serious one.

“Maybe?” Jesse looks between them all, “I would have no idea how ta go about  _ any _ of that.”

“Perhaps I can be of aid to you?” Zenyatta speaks, floating up to Jesse. “If you desire my help, of course.”

Jesse just blinks his gold eyes at Zenyatta and considers, “I dunno how you could help me.”

“I would not know unless I am given the opportunity to try.” Zenyatta counters. “It is up to you, however. I do sense that there is a divide within yourself.”

Jesse doesn’t answer that, only leans against Hanzo. Hanzo just gives Zenyatta a considering look.

“I will talk with Jesse,” Hanzo replies. “After we figure out how to get him to turn back.”

They end up running the simulation anyway, with Jesse in his werewolf form. It goes surprisingly smooth, all things considered. 

Jesse doesn’t turn back into his human form until he and Hanzo are back in their own room winding down from their training. One moment he’s still a werewolf when Hanzo goes into their bathroom to shower and when Hanzo comes back out Jesse is human once more.

“Maybe I should take up Zen’s offer.” Jesse says, sitting naked on their bed with only his hat for modesty, “Learn ta control this before I run outta clothes.” 

Hanzo can’t help the sudden laugh that bubbles out.

— — — — — — — — — 

The next full moon comes before Jesse and Hanzo can follow up on asking for Zenyatta’s help. There was an urgent mission that required the omnic monk, and Genji went with him. Jesse wishes it hadn’t turned out that way, and he sits anxiously in the training room waiting for Hanzo.

The sun is about to set, and the team had decided it was probably best for Jesse to be somewhere much larger than his and Hanzo’s room or trapped in the panic room again. The training room is huge and they figured it would suffice for a huge werewolf. Hanzo is not with Jesse at the moment, having said something about asking Hana and Lucio for a favour real quick and that he would meet Jesse in the training facility. Jesse hopes Hanzo shows up soon, he’s not eager to go through the shift without Hanzo there.

The thought of going through it alone is terrifying. Jesse would be lying in general if he said this whole werewolf thing didn’t scare him shitless. His mind sometimes wanders to the Black Forest again, and the werewolf they had encountered there. How it hadn’t hesitated in the slightest to attack Hanzo. 

Jesse doesn’t want to become that monster. 

Jesse rubs his face in his hands and only looks up when the training doors slide open. Jesse stares openly as Hanzo walks through the door, and can’t help the startled laugh that leaves his mouth as Hanzo steps closer to him.

“Darlin’, with all due respect,” Jesse begins, rising to his feet and meeting Hanzo halfway, “what in the good God’s name are ya wearing on your head?”

“You don’t like it?” Hanzo asks from under the white wolf pelt he’s sporting, balancing a laundry basket on his hip, “I figured if I was part of your pack I would look the part.”

“Okay, it’s a little touchin’.” Jesse admits, reaching to cup Hanzo’s face under the hood, “Is that golden face paint or somethin’?”

“Yes. I borrowed it from Hana.” Hanzo preens under Jesse’s attention, turns his head to smooch Jesse’s palm.

“That why ya needed her an’ Lucio’s help?” Jesse lets Hanzo move past him and falls into step at his side. 

Athena locks the training room doors behind them and lets them know the estimated time until the moon rises.

“Yes and no.” Hanzo answers cryptically, “I mostly needed their aid for this.” He motions to the basket at his hip.

“Got somethin’ planned with that?” Jesse asks, taking a seat on a bench, patting the spot next to him for Hanzo to take a seat, which he does, “Gonna clue me in or nah?”

“After your shift takes place.” Hanzo responds, “Which you should prepare for, lest you destroy more of your clothing.”

“That is the unsexiest way you have ever asked me to strip.” Jesse laments playfully, earning a playful shove that nearly sends him off the bench. 

Jesse does undress and hands Hanzo his clothing to fold. Soon Athena announces to them that the moon is rising, and Jesse nods to confirm to Hanzo that he can feel the shift beginning, now that Jesse kind of understands what to look for. The shift seems to go by a little easier, and Jesse returns to Hanzo’s side and looks expectantly at the basket next to Hanzo. 

“Gonna clue me in now?”

“Yes,” Hanzo answers, pulling an article of clothing from the hamper. “You seem to recognize scents the best in this state. So,” Hanzo waves a bright pink hoodie in front of Jesse, “we’re going to get you used to the team. To your  _ pack. _ ”

Jesse only stares before he slowly starts to wag his tail. “Have I ever told ya you’re a genius, Darlin’?”

“You could stand to mention it more,” Hanzo replies, smiling wide. 

— — — — — — — — — —

Jesse’s finally got the chance to ask Zenyatta’s help, which is why he finds himself sitting on the cliffside overlooking the sea with both Shimada brothers and the omnic monk. Jesse knows that this is a spot they all frequent to meditate together, which is what Zenyatta is instructing him through now. 

It’s easier said than done. Genji and Hanzo are already deep in meditation it seems. Jesse’s struggling to get there. Jesse’s starting to understand why Zenyatta makes such an excellent teacher, the monk is blessed with infinite patience. Something Jesse doesn’t have much of as of late.

Jesse hears chatter near the hangar bay and it immediately breaks his concentration for the fourth time. He can’t help the growl that sounds in his throat and unfolds himself to stretch his legs out because his muscles are starting to twinge. Hanzo and Genji haven’t moved an inch since he last looked. 

Zenyatta only looks at him with what Jesse can assume is patience, it’s the aura the monk is giving off, anyway. 

“You will improve with time.” Zenyatta says sagely, “I’m certain your skill with your weapon was not honed overnight, and neither will this be.” 

“Hard ta feel like I’m gettin’ anywhere when I’ve gotta see these two. They’re like statues.” Jesse looks over at Hanzo again, the only movement he can see is the steady rise and fall of Hanzo’s chest. “I dunno how they can keep their minds blank when I’m over here bitchin’.”

“I think you are misunderstanding what the purpose of this exercise is.” Zenyatta folds his hands in front of himself, “It is for reflection. I’m sure you have much to reflect upon, with recent events.”

Jesse shifts and chews his lip, “Hard ta get ta the point where I can reflect when I can hear everything. Super hearin’ sucks.”

Zenyatta only hums in thought and looks to their surroundings. 

“Perhaps you needn’t try to block out the noise.” He suggests. “Find one you can concentrate on. I know Hanzo does so.”

“He does?” Jesse turns to Hanzo, to find him staring back, obviously brought out of his meditation by the mention of his name.

“Care to share your method with Jesse, Hanzo?” Zenyatta addresses Hanzo. “What is it you focus on that helps you calm enough to reflect.”

“The sea, if I am close to it,” Hanzo says simply. “I enjoy the sound of the waves. If not the sea, then the rain or some form of running water." 

“Makes sense.” Jesse rubs the back of his neck, “Not sure if this will work out for me, though. I ain’t one ta sit still.”

“Perhaps a different approach to aid you then.” Zenyatta thinks for a moment. “Would you like to take a walk with me?” 

“Uh, sure.” Jesse stands and nearly topples, one of his feet having fallen asleep. 

To Jesse’s surprise, Zenyatta stands. On his feet. Jesse must have been staring because Zenyatta chuckles. 

“I asked you to walk with me, did I not?” Zenyatta says teasingly, and Jesse is surprised at the range of emotion he can gauge from Zenyatta still. “Follow me, when your foot is no longer asleep.”

Jesse nods and shakes out his limbs, getting the blood flow back into all his extremities. Jesse gives Zenyatta the go ahead and makes to tip his hat at Hanzo as a goodbye but realizes too late he is not wearing his hat at all. Hanzo isn’t paying attention anyway, probably, having gone back into his meditation. 

Zenyatta waits for Jesse to step up to him before Zenyatta leads them down a lesser traveled path down the cliffside. It’s a little worn out in places, overgrown with plants in others, but still, a stable pathway that winds down the cliffside down to a beach below, hidden by an outcropping of stone. Once they reach the beach, Zenyatta gathers his legs back under himself and floats there, motioning for Jesse to sit. Jesse does and waits for Zenyatta to speak.

“You are afraid of yourself.” Zenyatta states after a while of just listening to the waves crash against the stones of the cliffside. 

“Have ta be a fool not to be.” Jesse replies, “You were there that night, you patched me an’ Han up, you know what a creature like that,  _ like me _ is capable of.” 

“ _ Are _ you a creature, Jesse McCree?” Zenyatta asks, “Is that what you think of this new part of yourself?”

“I mean, yeah.” Jesse digs a little trench in the sand with his heel, “What else is that thing I become?”

“You.”

Zenyatta lets one of his orbs float to Jesse. Jesse just takes a look at the orb and then to Zenyatta and accepts the offered sphere, letting it float above his palm. The orb floats there and chimes, beginning to glow golden before flecks of purple mix in with the yellow aura. 

“You are divided.” Zenyatta begins, Jesse’s gaze transfixed on the orb, “From my observations, it seems to me that you are the reason the wolf you become does not know what you know. You do not let him because you perceive him to be a danger to those you love. He does not know who you know because you do not let him. You fear him. That fear will be your undoing.” 

The orb floating above Jesse’s palm flashes and the purple glow fully overtakes the yellow. 

“You will become the creature you fear you will if you do not reconcile these halves of yourself. If you do not work to see them as the whole of you.” Zenyatta finishes, retrieving his orb from Jesse. “It will be a hard road to travel, but you have company to walk with you and support you.” 

Jesse thinks to Hanzo and Genji up on the cliffside, and to Zenyatta who floats before him calmly. The rest of the team too. Jesse’s luckier than he figures most would be in his situation, luckier than the wolf who turned him was. 

Jesse won’t become that wolf. Not with his team and his family behind him. It’ll take time to adjust to the changes, and lots of work, like Zenyatta, has said. 

But if there was one thing Jesse McCree excels at, it is adapting.


	9. Werewolves in Eichenwald

Being so close to the Black Forest again is admittedly unnerving. It makes Jesse’s hackles raise, and he sticks close to Hanzo even on the transport there. But the site of the ruined village and castle of Eichenwald has great meaning to Reinhardt, and they all promised the big guy that they’d recover his mentor Balderich’s crusader armour, and most likely by extension the remains of Balderich himself. It’s a grim errand and yet another reminder of the devastation of the Omnic Crisis.

The unease isn't Jesse’s alone. Hanzo is fiddling with his bowstring idly, a nervous tick passed off as testing the give of the string. They’ve been together too long for Jesse not to recognize it, and even with his heightened senses, it’s not hard for him to pick up on Hanzo’s little quirks. Jesse makes a low, gentle growl in his throat and shifts closer to Hanzo, and the archer presses back against him. 

“It’ll be alright, Han.” Jesse noses Hanzo’s cheek and kisses it shortly after, “There’s no way in hell I’d let anythin’ happen ta you this time.”

“I know.” Hanzo answers, “But… it’s too similar to that night.”

“Yeah,” Jesse agrees, “I getcha. Only this time the only wolf here is me.”

“Already an improvement.” And there’s a cautious smile on Hanzo’s face that Jesse can’t help but lean in to kiss the corner of. 

Jesse laughs before he pulls Hanzo to face him fully and cup his archer’s cheek, “I’m glad.” the gunslinger turns serious a second later, “I don’t know how I’m gonna be if we do run inta trouble. I doubt anyone but us are gonna be here, this place is a ghost town. I just… I just don’t want to hurt you.”

“We’ve already established in our recent battle simulations that your protectiveness over me no longer translates into aggression towards our teammates.” Hanzo points out.

“Yeah okay, but those were simulations, Han.” Jesse looks worriedly down at Hanzo, “This is the first mission I actually been on since we found out I was a werewolf.”

“You’ve also been on missions  _ before _ we figured out you were a werewolf.” Hanzo places a hand reassuringly on Jesse’s cheek. “You were fine then, you will be fine now, and if you aren’t we do have precautions in place.”

Said precautions are one Captain Ana Amari and her sleep darts. The former Overwatch Captain insisted on joining Reinhardt for this endeavour. Not to mention, her sleep darts would be incredibly handy should Jesse blur closer to his werewolf self tonight and lose control. The moon was waxing close to full, after all.

While Jesse has been making strides in improving his control over his wolf form during full moon shifts, accidental shifts during situations of stress are still difficult for Jesse to pilot. Jesse at least has begun to see most of the team members currently on this mission as his pack. Winston considered it the best course of action to send Jesse on assignments to help build the pack bonds Jesse’s werewolf instincts desire to form.

Jesse leans closer to Hanzo once more to give his archer a soft, tender kiss. When they part Jesse cups Hanzo’s cheek and strokes the corner of Hanzo’s mouth with his thumb,  “You’ll watch over me yeah?”

Hanzo nods and smiles tenderly, “Of course, my love. I have your back.”

“An’ I got yours, Sugar.” Jesse kisses him again before they have to part entirely.

The transport has safely landed in Eichenwald. 

The village surrounding the castle proper is in worse shape than the tiny village in the Black Forest. The carapaces of omnics are strewn around the grounds and nature is slowly reclaiming them. Some of the buildings have been smashed in, and with the place abandoned for so long and in questionable structural stability, the team wants to avoid moving inside the buildings as much as possible. 

Hanzo is sent ahead to scout, and he scales the crumbling walls of the castle gate as carefully as he can. Once perched on top of a section that he is sure will not fall away beneath him, Hanzo takes in his surroundings. The castle itself is an imposing sight, the large door that once protected those inside from intruders was smashed in, and Hanzo wonders what it must have been like for the Crusaders that Balderich had led, to have their last stand in such a grand castle like the knights they fashioned themselves after. Hanzo also wonders how Reinhardt taking this all. He shakes his head and presses on, there will be time to chat with Reinhardt later about it. 

_ It’s strange _ , Hanzo muses as he clambers down the other side of the wall before darting to climb what must have been an old watchtower, _ how these people have quickly become my family _ .

Hanzo has Genji and Jesse to thank for this, as well as the unrelenting kindness the others have shown him. 

Elsewhere Jesse’s thoughts have led him down a similar path as he leans on one of the stone walls of the castle gate and awaits Hanzo’s report. He’s watching Reinhardt and Ana talk amongst themselves as they too wait for Hanzo’s check-in. It’s only the four of them out here, Lena is staying in the transport and keeping the engine running. 

_ Pack _ . Jesse thinks, satisfied at the sight before him, knowing what’s waiting for him back on base.  _ Family. _

Jesse lets out a low growl of contentment. He wants to comm Hanzo and ask how it’s going but ultimately leaves Hanzo to his work. If something comes up Hanzo will let him know. Until then Jesse enjoys the cool night air. It’s almost peaceful in a way, this shell of a town if it weren’t for the history behind it. 

Too peaceful.

Jesse lifts himself off of the wall and strains his ears to listen passed the low murmurs of Ana and Reinhardt’s conversation. He eventually has to hush them to be doubly sure. 

“What is it?” Ana asks him after a long stretch of silence.

“Nothin’.” Jesse answers, “A whole heap o’ nothin’. Which is what’s botherin’ me.” 

“Nothing in what way?” Ana presses, lifting her rifle so it is at the ready. 

Jesse presses a finger to his lips and motions to his ear. All three of them are silent for another moment before Reinhardt breaks the silence.

“Nothing stirs. Not even the crickets.” He says gravely. “That is not good.” 

“It ain’t.” Jesse agrees, “Somethin’ ain't right here. Somethin’ is all kinds o’ wrong.”

Jesse’s instincts are yelling at him to go find Hanzo and go home. Jesse is seconds away from calling Hanzo on the comms and telling him to retreat when the comm crackles to life in his ear. It makes Jesse flinch a little at the sudden sound of it, but he shakes it off in order to listen.

“Jesse.” Hanzo’s tone of voice is traitorously calm to the point it is stone cold and Jesse swears his own blood freezes in his veins, “The other werewolf is  _ here. _ ”

Ana must see something in his face because she takes one look at him before she says, “Go find him and bring him back safe.” She then readies her rifle and motions for Reinhardt to mobilize, “We’ll cover you.”

Jesse gives her a nod and makes his way through the shadows of the ancient castle grounds. Reinhardt and Ana are not far behind him, on alert. Jesse readies Peacekeeper before he enters through the castle gate.

“Where are ya, Pumpkin?” Jesse asks through the comm, “Ya got eyes on our intruder, yeah?”

“The top of the tower.” Jesse looks up the tall crumbling building and then for a way up for himself. There’s path to the right that Jesse assumes was once a wall that leads up to the keep proper of the castle, Jesse might have access to the tower from there. Hanzo continues his report, “It is skulking along the bridge before the keep.”

“It knows you’re there?” Jesse starts as he silently moves towards the pathway up.

“I cannot tell.” Hanzo answers. Jesse doesn’t know if that’s good or bad.

Jesse motions for Reinhardt and Ana behind him to fall back a little as he advances. Both of them duck into the shadows of the room to one side of the gate. They comm him themselves and let him know they’ll wait for his word.

“Do me a favour an’ tell me which way that S.O.B. is movin’.” Jesse keeps to the shadows himself as he starts to walk up the pathway, mindful of loose rocks. With his hearing Jesse can tell there is something big on the other side of the structures, he just hasn’t trained himself to be able to tell the direction yet, “I think I got a way up to ya, but I don’t know if I’m on a collision course with our friend there.”

“I will look.” 

Jesse hugs the wall of the tower and waits for Hanzo to get back to him. Jesse perks when there’s the sudden sound of shifting rock from somewhere above him, and he hears Hanzo curse quietly through the comm. 

For a moment there is complete and utter silence afterword. Hanzo does not stir. Jesse does not stir. Jesse can tell the werewolf not even a hundred yards away isn’t either.

Hanzo comes back on the comm, voice low, “Jesse, it knows I’m here.” 

And Jesse throws caution to the wind to continue up the path, and as soon as he comes up to the stretch of cobblestone before the great gaping maw of the castle interior Jesse nearly crashes headlong into the werewolf, both of them clearly intent on reaching Hanzo. Jesse had assumed that he had gotten a good look at the thing when it had dragged him through the dirt in the Black Forest. 

Sweet Jesus, he’d been all kinds of wrong.

Glowing eyes pin Jesse to the spot, and soon the other werewolf stands to its full height before Jesse. It’s a mess and a mass of dark black fur that’s matted down in places and in others the fur so patchy from scars lining its body and too long limbs. Whoever this once was, Jesse can feel it in his bones that they’re not coming back from the shit they’ve gone through, not with the way those gold eyes are vacant of any warmth. 

The other werewolf does not attack Jesse, staring him down with those golden eyes. Its maw parts with a huff and widens into a feral grin showing off rows of massive fangs. It keens, and Jesse has to put his hands over his ears from the sound. Only a second later does he realize the other werewolf is  _ speaking _ .

One single drawn-out word, hidden past the high noise the werewolf is making.

_ “Pack.” _

Jesse doesn’t even need to think it over before he’s tearing his hands off of his ears and snarling back,  _ “I have a pack, thank ya kindly.” _

He then whips a flashbang into the other werewolf’s face, turns on his heel and runs up the path to the top of tower with the background noise of a furious howl. Hanzo is at his side in seconds once Jesse crests the top, and they merely glance at each other and nod, before starting to head to the bridge that spans the gap between the tower and the building opposite of it. 

Jesse stops right before beginning to cross it to toss another flashbang at the other werewolf who had only seconds prior been right behind them. It writhes and covers its eyes with its massive paws, and Hanzo reaches to grab Jesse’s hand and tug him along.

The werewolf recovers faster this time than anticipated. All Jesse sees is a blur of black move passed him, and Hanzo’s hand is torn out of Jesse’s as the werewolf crashes into Hanzo’s back. The other werewolf and Hanzo skid across the brickwork of the bridge beneath them. Hanzo cries out in pain as the other werewolf tears into his back with its claws. 

There’s a roar in Jesse’s ears and everything seems to slow down. It’s a similar feeling to Deadeye, in a way, the impending shift. Perhaps that’s just how the wolf inside Jesse manifests, knowing Jesse already is used to using Deadeye. Right now he’s howling to get out, to defend his—  _ our _ mate, he reminds Jesse— and Jesse just feels all his focus land on the beast threatening one of the best things to ever happen to him.

“ _ Alright, buddy.”  _ Jesse answers to the call of his wolf, feeling his fangs grow and a snarl build in his throat as his eyes flare gold under the brim of his hat, the moon almost full behind him,  _ “Let’s do this your way.” _

It’s the most seamless transformation Jesse has experienced in the past three months. 

There’s no murk to wade through this time, only clarity. Jesse is not a monster, he knows this now, from observing the creature before him. Jesse and his wolf are one in the same, halves of one whole like Zenyatta had said. Jesse does not need to fear his wolf, his other half. He wants what Jesse wants, loves who he loves. 

Like Jesse, the wolf half of him would lay his life down for the team back on base, for Ana, who he looks to as a maternal figure, for Reinhardt and his loud booming laughter as he recalls the glory of his younger days.

For Hanzo, and the understanding in those dark eyes Jesse saw the first drunken night they had come together as friends with no animosity between them. Two broken men, looking for redemption in a world where their past deeds are not so easily buried and forgotten. 

When they both finally found someone who  _ understands _ .

There’s no way in all nine layers of Hell that Jesse McCree is going to give that up.

Jesse lets out a howl that splits the night, and the other werewolf whips around and snarls. Jesse doesn’t give it a chance to respond, only throws himself at it, teeth locking into its shoulder as they roll. The impact of the two warring werewolves is enough to crack the stone of the battlements on the bridge, and part of the low wall crumbles away.   
  
Hanzo uncurls from where he was protecting his neck to watch the two werewolves snarl and snap at each other a foot away from him. The black-furred werewolf has clear experience fighting in this form, but Jesse has sheer mass and seems to be healthier than his opponent by strides. Hanzo shuffles away from the two of them, hissing when his shredded back twinges at the movement.   
  
Hanzo’s hand comes into contact with Peacekeeper, Jesse’s firearm having been dropped sometime in the transformation from man to werewolf. Hanzo tucks it into his obi for safe keeping. Jesse’s signature BAMF belt buckle is there too, still attached to the leather of Jesse’s now shredded belt. Hanzo unthinkingly grabs it and pockets it as he backs away from the fighting werewolves since storm bow is too unwieldy up close. Hanzo notes that the only thing that seemed to have survived Jesse’s transformation is the serape that is still around Jesse’s shoulders. It will make differentiating Jesse from Hanzo’s target easier.   
  
The other werewolf rears up to lunge for Jesse’s throat after the two of them roll again, only for an arrow to pierce the side of its face and it roars. Jesse takes the opportunity to turn the tide in his favour again, springing up to pin the other werewolf under him. Anytime it seems like the other werewolf is gaining the upper hand, Hanzo pierces it again with an arrow to distract it long enough for Jesse to regain his footing.  
  
It’s a strategy that works up until it doesn’t.  
  
Suddenly, the feral werewolf tosses Jesse aside, and Jesse nearly careens over the side of the bridge but catches himself. That just leaves the injured Hanzo and the other werewolf alone on the bridge, until Jesse can climb back up. Hanzo and the black-furred werewolf stare each other down from their respective sides of the bridge before the werewolf rushes Hanzo.   
  
Hanzo scrambles backwards, again lifting his bow between himself and the jaws of the wolf. It's ready for him this time, or biting him is not the wolf's goal because the wolf simply tears storm bow out of Hanzo’s grip with its hands. Hanzo rolls out of the way of the slashes that follow. The werewolf will not ease up on Hanzo, swiping at him so quickly Hanzo barely can dodge the claws. It’s pushing him back, farther and farther from Jesse, back up to the top of the tower.   
  
The injury on Hanzo’s back does not make this any easier either, and with the way the wolf keeps shepherding him, he’ll soon be out of room.   
  
Jesse has finally pulled himself back up onto the bridge, shaking bits of debris from his fur before he bolts for the feral werewolf currently hounding Hanzo. Jesse makes it just in time to witness the feral slash down at Hanzo and for Hanzo to bring an arm up to block it. The hit has Hanzo staggering from the force of it, and the ruins of the castle crumble below his feet, and he starts to fall.

Jesse ignores the feral werewolf completely to dive for Hanzo, just making it in time to catch Hanzo’s arm in his jaws to try to stop his fall. Hanzo swings himself in the grip of Jesse’s jaws and brings his free arm up to cling to the ruff of Jesse’s neck and Jesse lets Hanzo’s arm go. Jesse rises to his full height on the edge of the tower and holds Hanzo close in his one arm.They both pause as a snarl sounds behind Jesse, the feral werewolf advancing on Jesse’s exposed back. 

Jesse looks to Hanzo, and Hanzo looks to Jesse, both grim but determined. Jesse nuzzles Hanzo’s face affectionately with a soft growl before he sets Hanzo down and stands at his side to face down the feral werewolf with a snarl. 

Suddenly Jesse’s ears flick at the distant muted firing of Ana’s sniper rifle, and there is a little pinpoint of pain on his shoulder before he feels like he’s been set alight. Jesse howls as the Nano Boost takes effect in his system and lunges for the feral werewolf.

Down below Ana is sitting on Reinhardt’s shoulders, reloading one of her little healing rounds into her rifles, “These boys never know when to ask for help from their elders.” 

“I say shoot them in the ass so maybe the lesson will take,” Reinhardt suggests gleefully. 

Ana does hit Hanzo in the ass with her healing round. Hanzo is too busy watching Jesse and the feral fight to take offence, but he’s grateful for the flash of relief from the pain that goes through him, and he makes to retrieve his storm bow. To his chagrin, the bowstring was snapped in the battle between the feral wolf and himself. 

Hanzo has done repairs in worse situations, but while digging through a pouch at his side his fingers brush cool metal while seeking the extra bowstring. Hanzo pulls out the silver bullet, and it gleams in the moonlight. Hanzo looks up to where Jesse and the feral are caught up in their battle, both a blur of claws and teeth. 

And, well, Hanzo has made harder shots with less.

The bullet fits into Peacekeeper’s cylinder when Hanzo pulls it from out of where he tucked it, moonlight glinting off of the barrel. Hanzo snaps the cylinder closed and spins the silver bullet into place. He thinks of Jesse, and those moments when they were alone in the shooting range together in the earlier days between them and Hanzo tried to convince Jesse to let him fire Peacekeeper.

From the look on Jesse’s face in those moments, you’d think you were asking him to hand over his soul.

Perhaps Peacekeeper’s connection to everything that is Jesse McCree will help Hanzo’s aim be true. So Hanzo rises, and stands, and aims down Peacekeeper’s barrel at the writhing forms of the werewolves locked in battle. 

“Draw,” Hanzo says before he pulls the trigger.

A single shot rings out accompanied by a yelp of pain, and the werewolves still. Hanzo holds his breath until Jesse pulls away from the slumped form of the feral, ears perked and head whipping around for the source of the shot. Once he sees Hanzo Jesse immediately runs up to him to pull him into a crushing hug.

“Jess. Jesse.” Hanzo wheezes, “My back.”

“Aw hell, shit.” Jesse sets Hanzo back down and fusses over him, his one hand smoothing down Hanzo’s side until he brings it up to cup Hanzo’s face. “Sorry, didn’t mean to. Forgot that fucker clawed you up.”

“He did. Seems though he got you too.” Hanzo reaches to poke a finger through a few of the holes the serape is now sporting. 

Jesse catches his hand before Hanzo can touch though, those huge golden eyes wide and fixated on Hanzo’s arm. Hanzo follows his gaze, to the tear in the sleeve of his gi where Jesse’s fangs had sunk in. Realization dawns slowly on Hanzo.

“I bit you.” Jesse’s ears flick back and his tail tucks between his legs in shame, “ _ I bit you. _ Darlin’, good sweet Jesus in heaven, Darlin’ I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinkin’ straight, I saw you fallin’ an’ I—“

Hanzo reaches up and clamps Jesse’s muzzle shut in his hands. 

“Enough,” Hanzo says softly, leaning up to press a kiss to Jesse’s cold nose. “Enough. What is done is done.” He then lets go of Jesse’s muzzle and lets himself slump against Jesse’s chest. 

“You’re gonna turn like I did.” Jesse says, putting his arm gently around Hanzo, “You’re gonna go all werewolf too.”

“Then take care of me,” Hanzo says simply. “You have my back, do you not?”

Jesse quiets and looks down at the man in his arms. He can’t help but lean down and nuzzle Hanzo’s cheek.

“Yeah,” Jesse says, with a soft growl.

“I do. Always an’ Forever.”


	10. Okami and Forever

Hanzo slipped into the fever that heralds the start of the change soon after the group returned from Eichenwald. Now knowing what to expect, Angela allowed for Jesse to watch over Hanzo in their own room, granted that he keep her posted on Hanzo’s condition. Jesse hasn’t really left Hanzo’s side since then unless to eat with the team, at which point Genji or Zenyatta usually take up watch over Hanzo. 

“How is he?”

Jesse sits up from where he’d been leaning over onto the side of his and Hanzo’s bed, where his lover lays unconscious and fevered. Genji is standing in the door, eyes locked on Hanzo’s form. There’s a furrow in his brow that is similar to the one Hanzo gets when he is concerned. In any other circumstance it would amuse Jesse on how similar the brothers actually are, but right now it’s a little too much of a reminder that Hanzo has not stirred in three days.

“He’s still runnin’ hot.” Jesse murmurs lowly. While he wishes for Hanzo to wake, he wants for the archer to do so on his own. “Angie says its a lot like the one I ran when we came back from the Black Forest but…”

“But you woke up after three days.” Genji finishes, “Hanzo’s going on his fourth.”

Genji strides over to sit on the end of the bed, Hanzo’s prosthetics are in their usual spot at the foot of the bed when Hanzo does not need them so there is room for the younger Shimada to sit. Neither Genji or Jesse speak, both deep in thought over what could possibly be taking so long for Hanzo to turn. Jesse pulls the damp cloth from Hanzo’s forehead and wrings it out to replace it with cooler water before he places it back on Hanzo’s brow. 

“I never realized how old he looks.” Genji voices after a long silence has passed, “Or how much he looks like our dad. Only with fewer greys.”

“You’ve both been through the wringer, Hanzo just has more greys to show for it.” Jesse shuffles to sit more comfortably, taking Hanzo’s closest hand in his, “Neither of you had it easy, an’ stress can make us look as old as we feel.”

Genji only nods, eyes still trained on his brother, “I had hoped him following me here would help alleviate the burdens he carries.”

“Han’s stubborn, y’know he’s gonna carry them until we trick ‘im into lettin’ some o’ they go.” Jesse smiles a little sadly at that, giving Hanzo’s hand a squeeze. 

“Or he finds someone to help him shoulder them until he can let go of them,” Genji says sagely, now looking pointedly at Jesse.

“I’m tryin’,” Jesse admits. To this day he’s still shocked he’s made it so far with Hanzo. Jesse’s never had something like this with anyone. His grip on Hanzo’s hand tightens, another wave of realization cresting over him at just how close he had come to losing this. Of losing Hanzo. “I wanna be here for him, always. Y’know that, ‘Ji.”

“I know, and I know he wants to do the same for you.” Jesse nods and Genji looks to his brother once more, “He’s never had anyone like you, Jesse, you know that?”

“He’s told me,” Jesse says softly, tucking a stray hair behind Hanzo’s ear. Had Hanzo’s hair been so streaked with silver before? Jesse can’t recall. “Knows how ta make a fella feel special.”

“You’re both good for each other, I feel.” Genji muses. “I’d never seen Hanzo smile so much before he came here before he met you.”

“I can’t take all the credit.” Jesse replies, “Han’s been workin’ hard to make things right with you. To make peace with himself. Me an’ him together is jus’ a byproduct of that."

“I’m glad for it.” Genji sends a bright smile Jesse’s way. “Hanzo still has a long way to go, but I am thankful he has you to support him. And, of course, that he is here to support you as well.”

“Like I said, I always will.” Jesse dabs Hanzo’s forehead again with the cold cloth before wringing it out once again and returning it to rest on Hanzo’s forehead. Even in his fevered state, Hanzo leans into Jesse’s touch when he strokes Hanzo’s cheek tenderly as he withdraws his hand. “I love him, so damn much. Can’t imagine bein’ without him.”

Genji says nothing, but Jesse notices Genji giving him an odd look when he turns back towards him, “What?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t ensured that, is all,” Genji replies, a knowing smirk on his face. 

Jesse squints at Genji for a moment before he catches on, face slowly turning red. “I’ve thought about it, yeah. I just… it wasn’t anythin’ me an’ your brother have talked about yet.”

“Then I think it’s a discussion you need to have when he wakes.” Genji points out. “Or perhaps you should just ask him when he comes to. I think, either way, it’s a question he’s been waiting for, especially given recent events.”

Jesse doesn’t get a chance to reply when Genji rises to his feet and gives Jesse a two-fingered salute as he leaves the room. “I’m going to go meditate with Master Zenyatta. Let me know immediately when my brother wakes.”

It leaves Jesse alone with the still unconscious Hanzo and lots to think about.

— — — — — — — — — — 

Hanzo wakes on the afternoon of the fifth day. 

Everything is too sharp in focus, and he makes a low growl in his throat. The scents assault Hanzo next, he can smell the salt of his own sweat leftover from the fever, and someone’s coffee on the nightstand. Hanzo turns towards the smell, spying Jesse leaning back in the desk chair with a pen in his mouth, puzzling over an old paperback book of crossword puzzles. Jesse smells like warm leather and huckleberries. Like home. Something possessive swells in Hanzo’s chest.

_Mate,_ that part of Hanzo says, _Ours_.

Hanzo finds that he agrees, and can’t help the smile that forms on his lips. That’s when Jesse finally looks over and notices Hanzo is awake, and the coffee on the nightstand nearly spills when Jesse surges to Hanzo’s side.

“Hey, Baby.” Jesse takes one of Hanzo’s hands in his and kisses it, “How you feelin’, Sugar? Need anythin’?”

“You to not badger me with so many questions after I wake.” Hanzo chastises playfully, his voice scratchy. 

Jesse huffs a laugh and leaves Hanzo briefly to grab him some water, which Hanzo wishes to down like a man lost in the desert, but knows it would likely be hell on his stomach. Jesse helps him drink it slowly, taking the glass and setting it on their nightstand before Jesse crowds closer to Hanzo to kiss his forehead.

“In all seriousness, Sweetheart, how are ya doin’?” Jesse asks again, rubbing Hanzo’s hand between his own.

“Everything is… sharper.” Hanzo says, “I can smell things as if they were under my own nose.”

“Yeah, sounds about right. I went through the same. Didn’t think too much of it before.” Jesse replies.

“Did you expect my changes to be different.” Hanzo asks, and when Jesse doesn’t reply immediately and squints his eyes like that, Hanzo knows something is up, “Jesse?”

Jesse just looks mildly uncomfortable, and shrugs and Hanzo squints at his lover. Now Hanzo knows without a doubt that Jesse is keeping something from him. 

“Jesse.” Hanzo growls, “What is it?”

Jesse rubs the back of his neck, “Well, for starters, I’m gonna needta get your boys a bigger cat bed.”

Hanzo is confused for all of five seconds until Jesse motions with a nod to where the cat bed Soba and Udon love to laze in is. Instead of two twin spectral dragons, there are two decidedly more wolflike spectral spirits. Hanzo only blinks owlishly at the two of them.

“Soba? Udon?” Hanzo tries, eyes only widening when both of the spectral white wolves bark and wag their tails in response to their names. “I see.” Hanzo turns to look back at Jesse, who is covering his mouth and staring at Hanzo hard.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” Hanzo asks, to which Jesse nods slowly. “Is it bad?”

Jesse only shakes his head slowly, “No? Yes? It really depends on what your opinion of your appearance is.” 

Hanzo stares at Jesse before he sits up and starts shuffling his way to grab his prosthetics. It’s when he leans over to grab his legs that a startling shock of white hair falls into his face. Hanzo almost moves it behind his ear without thought but stops himself in the middle of the action. He grabs the strands and pulls them in front of his eyes again and stares hard. Hanzo even tugs on the hair, the pain in his scalp providing evidence that this is indeed his hair.

“Jesse.” Hanzo turns to his lover, is about to make his demand when Jesse wordlessly scoops him up in his arms.

“I gotcha.” Jesse adjusts Hanzo in his arms and carries him into their bathroom. 

Hanzo wordlessly flicks on the light switch, and not knowing how else to react, simply stares at himself in the mirror. Hanzo’s hair is no longer black, it’s all gone a vibrant, almost silvered white. Hanzo pulls on a few strands again to confirm it’s real. 

Jesse just holds his boyfriend patiently as Hanzo fusses with his hair. 

“When?” Hanzo asks eventually.

“It kinda happened slowly at first. Your hair kinda got more greys in it then this mornin’ I woke up an’ your hair is all pristine like snow. Soba an’ Udon manifested in that form they’re takin’ out there sometime last night, I figure.” Jesse motions with his head again to the twin wolves trying to fit into one cat bed out in their room, “Scared the piss outta me.”

“I see.” Hanzo answers.

“Doin’ okay?” Jesse asks softly. 

Hanzo only shrugs. He had expected the behavioral changes like Jesse had exhibited, not a change to his appearance. 

“I will grow used to it.” Hanzo answers eventually.

“Need anythin’ in the meantime?” Jesse asks, adjusting Hanzo in his arms and giving him a soft smile.

“A shower.” 

“Comin’ right up.” Jesse sets Hanzo down on their toilet to prepare Hanzo’s shower for him, “Want some alone time or do ya want my help?”

“Pamper me.” is Hanzo’s immediate response and Jesse can’t help but laugh.

“You got it, Baby.” Jesse leans down and kisses Hanzo softly.

It’s in the shower though that they discover the regal dragon that once spiraled down Hanzo’s arm is gone too, in its place golden markings that Hanzo cannot see a rhyme or reason to yet. Hanzo gets quiet and distant and Jesse only holds him closer, running his hand through Hanzo’s hair tenderly. 

“I gotcha, Honey.” Jesse whispers when the first of Hanzo’s tears fall tucks Hanzo’s face into his shoulder, “That's it, I’m right here. I gotcha.” 

Jesse knows he himself would react the same damn way if a part of his identity that was so integral to a large chunk of his life was altered so drastically overnight. Hanzo for his part was always a silent crier, Jesse only knows he’s done when Hanzo lifts his face from Jesse’s shoulder and asks for a kiss silently. Jesse lets Hanzo take as many as he pleases, and shields Hanzo from the spray when the water starts to run cold. They only move from the shower when Hanzo is ready and calm again. 

“D’ya wanna talk to Genji?” Jesse asks as he helps Hanzo dry. 

Hanzo is silent while he thinks, and Jesse is going to drop the subject until Hanzo nods shortly after both are dressed once more.

“I will speak with my brother,” Hanzo says softly. 

“Okay.” Jesse says gently, “Need me for anythin’ else?”

“Not right now.” and Jesse nods in response.

“If you do, you know I’ll come runnin’, Baby.”

“I know you would.” Hanzo smiles a little, and even with Hanzo’s hair gone stark white,, it’s still a sight that makes Jesse’s heart flutter. 

Jesse gives Hanzo a long, lingering kiss before Hanzo goes off to find Genji. 

— — — — — — — — — — 

The talk with Genji must have been a good on because when Hanzo returns hours later his mood is improved. Jesse made sure their bedsheets were changed and the room cleaned, so Hanzo wasn’t returning to a messy living space to help improve his mood. If Jesse’s surprise doesn’t pan out, that is.

Because when Hanzo steps back into their dorm he also returns to a little candlelit dinner and a bottle of fine sake laid out for him. Granted, Jesse has pulled the desk from the wall and has borrowed Hana’s bright pink desk chair in lieu of having a proper dining table. Between the two candles decorating the desk, Jesse’s little potted cactus sits, and Hanzo can’t help the laugh that spills from his mouth. 

Jesse rounds the desk turned table and takes Hanzo’s hands in his and presses kisses to each knuckle. Hanzo only shakes his head fondly, leans into Jesse for an embrace and nuzzles into Jesse’s warmth. Jesse sways with him for a moment before they part.

“What’s the occasion?” Hanzo asks as Jesse leads him to their “table”.

“Sweetie Pie, if I had my way I would spoil you every damn moment of the day, to hell with occasions,” Jesse says with a grin, pulling out Hanzo’s seat for him and stealing a kiss from Hanzo before Jesse takes his place at the other end of the table. 

“I would welcome such attention,” Hanzo admits, “but I know you, Jesse McCree. You do not do things without purpose.”

“Ya got me there.” Jesse takes off his hat and smoothes down his hair. He considers putting it back on but tosses it onto the bed in the corner. If there’s any time to be open and honest with Hanzo, it is now. 

“I wanna marry you,” Jesse states plainly. 

Jesse hears Hanzo take a sharp breath, even though the archer’s face betrays nothing. There’s a second of silence, and Jesse’s heart feels like it’s going to burst out of his chest before Hanzo answers.

“This is truly something you desire with me?” Hanzo asks, his voice is vulnerable, for once nothing more than merely Hanzo. Not the Shimada heir, not the peerless assassin, just Hanzo. 

Just like Jesse doesn’t feel the weight of the bounty on his head when he’s with Hanzo. 

“Darlin’, I wouldn’t want ta ask this of anyone else.” Jesse reaches and takes Hanzo’s hand across the desk, “We’ve been through so much shit. Fuck, Baby, Sugar, light-o-my-life, if this werewolf shit didn’t scare you away then I dunno what would.”

“That’s a fair point.” Hanzo can’t help but laugh, and he squeezes Jesse’s hand. Jesse feels like he’s on cloud nine every time he hears Hanzo laugh.

“Then what do you say?” Jesse pulls out a plain gold band from the breast pocket of his flannel. Hanzo only just realizes that Jesse’s wearing his lucky flannel for this. 

Hanzo stands up and rounds the desk, and perches himself in Jesse’s lap. He leans down to press his forehead to Jesse’s.

“I say yes.”

Jesse’s grin is dazzling, and the kiss they share feels like coming home. 

— — — — — — — — — — — — 

Hana wanders the halls of the Watchpoint after dark, a stream of hers having run on too long. As such, she’s starving for a midnight snack. There’s a faint light shining in the kitchen still, and Hana wonders who else is up this late. She rounds the corner to find the huge form of Jesse in his full werewolf glory raiding the fridge. 

Hana would be alright with just stepping back and letting Jesse go through with his fridge raiding, but when he turns and spots her and immediately begins to look guilty she knows something is up. She does have far to look, between Jesse, the fridge, and the still ajar pantry. 

In Jesse’s mouth, held carefully between his sharp, sharp fangs, is her bag of Tteokbokki crackers.

“Nuh-uh.” Hana stomps up to him, “That is not happening!” She snatches the bag out of his mouth, which miraculously doesn’t tear. “You can tell Hanzo that if he wants some, then he can ask me or he can convince Lena to make a detour to _Seoul_ to get some _himself.”_

Hana turns on her heel with a _hmph_ , pops open the bag of rice crackers and walks away triumphant as she crunches on a few of them. 

Jesse only grumbles and returns to raiding the fridge. He hopes pickles would suffice for Hanzo’s craving for something crunchy, taking the jar in his mouth carefully since his arm is full of other snacks. Jesse then makes his way through the dark halls of the base, and Athena is kind enough to open the door to his and Hanzo’s dorm for him. 

The moonlight spills across the floor of their shared room, cascading over the lump of blankets on the floor. Hanzo isn’t very mobile in his werewolf form as of yet, because of his missing lower legs, so he prefers to build a comfortable nest to lounge on during the moon-shifts. Torbjorn at least promised to make Hanzo a pair of werewolf sized prosthetic legs, after he fine tunes the werewolf sized prosthetic arm for Jesse. 

Jesse plops down next to the mass of blankets and spreads out the spoils of his trip for his mate’s perusal. Hanzo is nearly indistinguishable from the fluffy white rug Genji had bought them as a joke, but soon there is a pair of golden eyes peeking out from under the blankets and a nose sniffing for the food. 

“Sorry I couldn’t sneak those crackers. Hana caught me.” Jesse says, leaning over to give Hanzo a nuzzle, “Brought you pickles instead.” 

Hanzo adjusts the blankets so he can use them to prop himself up, and save his arms some strain, “The pickles will suffice.” 

The two of them divide up their spoils and talking amongst themselves quietly. 

On the nightstand, two wedding bands glint in the light of the full moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we arrive at the end. 
> 
> If you liked this story please let me know! It was my piece for the McHanzo Big Bang 2018, and while the last two chapters were a little late I managed to see it through!
> 
> If you have any questions about this story or this au, let me know! You can find me on my fanfic tumblr [Angstgremlin](http://angstgremlin.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna chat at me about McHanzo or any other of the pairings I ship, catch me on my fic tumblr [Angstgremlin](http://angstgremlin.tumblr.com)


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